Aston Villa 3-1 Brighton & Hove Albion

Aston Villa wrapped up their 2024/25 Women’s Super League campaign with a record fifth successive victory as they saw off Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 at Villa Park.

Ebony Salmon opened the scoring with a neat finish in the fifth minute, her third goal in four matches.

Rachel Daly doubled the advantage on the stroke of half-time, converting from close range to continue her scoring streak and register a 13^th of the season in all competitions.

The Seagulls came close to reducing the arrears as Kiko Seike and substitute Fran Kirby both hit the woodwork in quick succession.

But impressive Villa added a third in the 74^th minute as Maz Pacheco, Villa’s longest-serving player in the professional era, rifled home in her final appearance for the club.

Nikita Parris denied the Villans a first league clean sheet since November as she drilled in from an acute angle deep into injury time.

Nevertheless, Villa triumphed to record five consecutive wins in the WSL for the first time and finish the season sixth in the standings.

Ahead of kick-off, there was an on-pitch presentation to departing quartet Pacheco, Dan Turner, Rachel Corsie and Jordan Nobbs.

The former duo were named in Natalia Arroyo’s starting XI, with Turner making the 150^th WSL appearance of her career against the Seagulls, as Villa showed three changes from last weekend’s triumph at West Ham United.

The hosts made a bright start to the encounter, Salmon pulling an effort wide inside the opening two minutes.

Bruna Vilamala fired off target for Brighton before the Villans opened the scoring with just five minutes on the clock.

A swift break resulted in Chasity Grant flicking the ball on for Salmon to race from the halfway line and apply a composed 20-yard finish into the bottom corner beyond Sophie Baggaley.

Sabrina D’Angelo got down quickly to thwart Michelle Agyemang’s flick, before the Villa ‘keeper kept out another strike from distance.

Anna Patten made a great block to deny the lively Agyemang on the half-hour mark, and it was the home side who doubled their advantage just before the break.

Katie Robinson broke down the right and found Grant, who slid a ball into the danger zone for Daly to convert from close range and hand Villa a two-goal lead at the interval.

The hosts almost added a third soon after the restart as Grant again raced clear down the right before sending a ball across the box for Daly, who saw her close-range finish blocked by Baggaley.

Pacheco produced a neat turn before testing the Seagulls ‘keeper as Villa continued to threaten, with Parris heading into the side-netting from a corner at the other end.

Nobbs and Miri Taylor were introduced just after the hour mark, with Salmon firing narrowly over from distance shortly afterwards.

Villa were handed a let-off in the 67^th minute as Seike’s low effort rebounded back off the far post, with Kirby sending her strike against the opposite post.

Nobbs fired off target after more good work from Salmon, but the home side didn’t have to wait long for a third as Pacheco drilled home following a neat touch from sub Sarah Mayling, with the resulting celebrations enjoyed by all in claret and blue.

Corsie and Gabi Nunes entered the fray as both sides threatened during an open conclusion to the encounter.

And it was Brighton who had the final say as Parris fired in from a tight angle, but Villa celebrated at the final whistle as they secured a top-half finish in the WSL table and went into the new campaign with plenty of cause for further optimism.