Match ends, Aston Villa 2, Brighton and Hove Albion 0.
Ollie Watkins and Tyrone Mings scored in the final six minutes as Steven Gerrard enjoyed a memorable first match as Aston Villa manager with victory over Brighton.
Gerrard's bow as a Premier League boss looked set to end in a goalless stalemate until his side broke from an 84th-minute Brighton corner.
Villa went the full length of the field as substitute Ashley Young sent Watkins running down the left wing, with the England forward cutting inside the box before delivering a smart finish beyond Jason Steele.
A minute from time, the hosts got their second as Adam Webster's attempt to clear John McGinn's cross went straight to Mings, who finished at the first attempt.
Villa might have had a third but Steele did well to deny Leon Bailey in stoppage time.
The victory ended a run of five straight defeats for Villa, with Gerrard taking applause from all sides of the ground before running down the tunnel in obvious delight.
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Gerrard's joy
After taking the applause of the home fans as he made his way to the dugout, it didn't take Gerrard long to be claiming for every free-kick, booking or penalty that it was possible for his side to get in a first half of limited chances.
It is fairly obvious to say Villa have no-one in their squad who could come close to a favourable comparison to their new manager in his playing pomp.
They do have some useful performers though, in new Poland international Matty Cash, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and skipper Mings. But they looked limited in the final third.
Until the sensational ending, their best chances came from headers by Cash and Mings, which Premier League debutant Steele made brave saves to repel.
Villa's club record £33m signing Emiliano Buendia was again a muted force and it was no real surprise when he was replaced by Young for the final 16 minutes.
What this club does have - and the attraction for Gerrard - is a massive fanbase and a great history. 'Iconic', was the word Gerrard used in his programme notes.
And by the time the final whistle went, Villa Park was a cauldron of noise as the home fans celebrated their first win since September.
Blunt Brighton
Amid the noise around Dean Smith's exit and Gerrard's appointment, it had almost been overlooked that Brighton's excellent start to the season has now given way to a run of seven games without a win in all competitions, their worst run in almost a year.
Graham Potter's side retain the confidence to keep possession and maintain their patience as they look for openings but they still find a killer touch elusive.
After Villa's initial thrusts the Seagulls controlled long periods of the game, denying the hosts any time on the ball while they enjoyed plenty of it, albeit in areas of the field that were not of any particular danger.
Martinez, fresh from keeping the clean sheet against Brazil that secured World Cup qualification for Argentina, made the two most notable saves, beating away an angled Leandro Trossard drive before spreading himself to deny Tariq Lamptey.
Lamptey is slowly returning to form after injury but despite the promptings of Adam Lallana and Yves Bissouma from midfield, once Villa broke the deadlock, there was never any realistic hope of an equaliser.
Aston Villa are next in action against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday, 27 November (15:00 GMT). Brighton have a home game against Leeds, also on 27 November (17:30 GMT).
Player of the match
McGinnJohn McGinn
Aston Villa
Avg
- Squad number7Player nameMcGinnAverage rating
7.79
- Squad number11Player nameWatkinsAverage rating
7.43
- Squad number5Player nameMingsAverage rating
7.23
- Squad number1Player nameE MartínezAverage rating
7.04
- Squad number18Player nameYoungAverage rating
6.88
- Squad number2Player nameCashAverage rating
6.86
- Squad number21Player nameEl GhaziAverage rating
6.78
- Squad number4Player nameKonsaAverage rating
6.64
- Squad number41Player nameJ RamseyAverage rating
6.62
- Squad number19Player nameNakambaAverage rating
6.60
- Squad number3Player nameTargettAverage rating
6.51
- Squad number31Player nameBaileyAverage rating
6.48
- Squad number20Player nameIngsAverage rating
6.17
- Squad number10Player nameBuendíaAverage rating
5.93
Brighton & Hove Albion
Avg
- Squad number2Player nameLampteyAverage rating
6.67
- Squad number24Player nameDuffyAverage rating
6.40
- Squad number8Player nameBissoumaAverage rating
6.08
- Squad number5Player nameDunkAverage rating
6.07
- Squad number14Player nameLallanaAverage rating
6.01
- Squad number20Player nameMarchAverage rating
6.00
- Squad number3Player nameCucurellaAverage rating
5.94
- Squad number15Player nameModerAverage rating
5.84
- Squad number11Player nameTrossardAverage rating
5.82
- Squad number23Player nameSteeleAverage rating
5.74
- Squad number4Player nameWebsterAverage rating
5.43
- Squad number13Player nameGroßAverage rating
5.28
- Squad number9Player nameMaupayAverage rating
4.90
- Squad number10Player nameMac AllisterAverage rating
4.35
Line-ups
Aston Villa
Formation 4-3-3
- 1E Martínez
- 2CashBooked at 90mins
- 4KonsaBooked at 90mins
- 5Mings
- 3Targett
- 7McGinn
- 19NakambaBooked at 59mins
- 41J RamseySubstituted forEl Ghaziat 84'minutes
- 10BuendíaSubstituted forYoungat 74'minutes
- 20IngsSubstituted forBaileyat 66'minutes
- 11Watkins
Substitutes
- 8Sanson
- 12Steer
- 16Tuanzebe
- 18Young
- 21El Ghazi
- 30Hause
- 31Bailey
- 33Chukwuemeka
- 39Davis
Brighton
Formation 3-5-2
- 23Steele
- 4WebsterBooked at 67mins
- 24Duffy
- 5Dunk
- 2LampteySubstituted forMaupayat 79'minutes
- 13GroßSubstituted forMac Allisterat 88'minutesBooked at 90mins
- 8Bissouma
- 15Moder
- 3CucurellaBooked at 49minsSubstituted forMarchat 64'minutes
- 11Trossard
- 14Lallana
Substitutes
- 9Maupay
- 10Mac Allister
- 16Scherpen
- 20March
- 27Locadia
- 30Richards
- 33Burn
- 34Veltman
- 60Sarmiento
- Referee:
- Anthony Taylor
- Attendance:
- 41,925
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home37%
- Away63%
- Shots
- Home9
- Away6
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away2
- Corners
- Home5
- Away7
- Fouls
- Home7
- Away13
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Aston Villa 2, Brighton and Hove Albion 0.
Post update
Corner, Brighton and Hove Albion. Conceded by Tyrone Mings.
Booking
Matthew Cash (Aston Villa) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Solly March (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Matthew Cash (Aston Villa).
Post update
Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Leon Bailey (Aston Villa).
Post update
Attempt missed. Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left.
Post update
Attempt saved. Leon Bailey (Aston Villa) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Matt Targett.
Booking
Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton and Hove Albion) is shown the yellow card.
Booking
Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Foul by Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton and Hove Albion).
Post update
Ashley Young (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton and Hove Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Leandro Trossard.
Post update
Offside, Aston Villa. Ollie Watkins tries a through ball, but Leon Bailey is caught offside.
Goal!
Goal! Aston Villa 2, Brighton and Hove Albion 0. Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the high centre of the goal following a corner.
Substitution
Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Alexis Mac Allister replaces Pascal Groß.
Post update
Corner, Aston Villa. Conceded by Lewis Dunk.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Leon Bailey (Aston Villa) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Matt Targett with a cross.
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Comments
Join the conversation
'Gerrards Villa'
The guy is a class act and will move villa up the table a good bit in the next season or two
From a rangers man 💙🇬🇧
Huzzah!
UTV!!!!!!!
Happy for Mings to shut a few people up with a solid clean sheet and a well taken goal. Great goal from Watkins as well.
Something to build on! UTV
Well done Villa & their new management team.