Aston Villa lost hopes of strengthening their push for a top-four Premier League finish as Tariq Lamptey’s late equaliser earned Brighton a 2-2 draw at Villa Park on Monday.
Villa’s Ollie Watkins celebrated his birthday with a goal and an assist, helping Morgan Rogers put the hosts ahead after Simon Adingra’s early strike for Brighton. However, Lamptey’s emphatic finish in the 81st minute extended Brighton’s winless run to seven games while frustrating Villa’s ambitions.
Despite the setback, Villa manager Unai Emery insisted his side remains in the hunt for Champions League qualification.
“We played a fantastic match. The first 20 minutes we started lower than planned and conceded, but we reacted well,” Emery said. “The table is tight, and we are in the race for the second part of the season.”
Aston Villa, currently ninth, sit six points off the top four after an inconsistent campaign. Brighton, meanwhile, are 10th but struggling to regain momentum in a winless streak stretching over seven games.
Brighton opened the scoring in the 12th minute when Ezri Konsa’s misjudged clearance allowed Simon Adingra to fire past Emiliano Martinez. The Seagulls nearly doubled their lead, but Martinez made a spectacular save to deny Julio Enciso, while Jan Paul van Hecke squandered a free header.
Aston Villa levelled after a chaotic sequence involving two VAR reviews. Morgan Rogers was fouled in the box by Joao Pedro, prompting referee Craig Dawson to award a penalty after reviewing the pitchside monitor. Watkins converted for his eighth goal of the season.
Aston Villa surged ahead just after the break, with Watkins setting up Rogers for a composed finish, his sixth goal of the season. But they failed to capitalise on their lead, allowing Lamptey to level with a brilliant late strike after combining with Kaoru Mitoma.
Watkins had two late chances to restore Villa’s lead but fired over, leaving Emery visibly frustrated as Brighton escaped with a point.
