Aston Villa 1-2 Brighton

Aston Villa fell to a 2-1 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion amid late drama at Villa Park.

The hosts were awarded an injury-time penalty after Trezeguet was brought down by Solly March, but the decision was reversed by referee Michael Oliver after VAR directed him towards pitchside TV replays.

It came just moments after the visitors were reduced to 10 men, Tariq Lamptey sent off for two yellow cards in quick succession.

It concluded an end-to-end Premier League encounter, with the hosts denied time and again during a first half in which they created a plethora of chances, trailing at the interval to Danny Welbeck’s 12^th-minute finish having raced clean through.

Ezri Konsa converted Bertrand Troare’s inch-perfect free-kick to register his second goal of the season and deservedly draw Villa level immediately after the restart.

However, the Seagulls claimed all three points courtesy of March’s curled finish into the top corner in the 56^th minute.

Villa will be looking to get back on track when they travel to West Ham United next Monday.

Dean Smith named an unchanged XI from the side who secured an emphatic 3-0 victory at Arsenal prior to the international break, with Villa having made the fewest starting line-up changes of all top-flight teams this season.

But the Villa head coach was forced into an early substitution after just five minutes as Ross Barkley sustained a muscle strain in the opening exchanges, replaced by fit-again Traore.

Villa started the brighter of the two teams yet it was the visitors who opened the scoring after 12 minutes, Welbeck racing clear from just inside his own half to latch on to Adam Lallana’s throughball and clip his finish over Emi Martinez.

Trezeguet somehow put wide from eight yards after his initial effort was well blocked by Adam Webster before Seagulls stopper Mat Ryan got down well to deny Traore from distance.

Martinez was quick off his line to block from Neal Maupay during a lively opening quarter, Jack Grealish was denied by Ryan and Lallana miscued his side-footed finish as chances continued to come at either end.

Trezeguet was inches over the crossbar in the 35^th minute, Ryan cleared off the goalline with his feet to deny Tyrone Mings and Ben White slid in to thwart Ollie Watkins and see his sliding challenge send the ball against the outside of a post as Villa somehow found themselves behind at the break.

But the hosts were level within two minutes of the restart as Konsa connected with Traore’s delivery to convert from seven yards.

However, the Seagulls regained their advantage nine minutes later as March curled into the top corner from just inside the penalty area.

Welbeck sent a chance wide from close range while Smith made a double substitution with 15 minutes remaining, turning to Anwar El Ghazi and Conor Hourihane.

Trezeguet fired over the bar in the 87^th minute before Lamptey was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence within quick succession.

But that was not the end of the drama as Villa thought they had been awarded a spot-kick in added time, only to see the initial award reversed and Brighton went on to claim all three points.

Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett, Luiz (Hourihane 75), McGinn, Trezeguet, Barkley (Traore 5) (El Ghazi 74), Grealish (c), Watkins.

Subs: Steer, Taylor, Elmohamady, Nakamba.