Villa stay in title race with late win over Brighton

Jack Hinshelwood’s late own goal saw Aston Villa clinch a 1-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion on James Milner’s record-equalling Premier League appearance.

Milner came on as a first-half substitute at Villa Park, one of his former stomping grounds, and in the process featured in a top-flight game for the 653rd time, matching Gareth Barry’s record.

However, Milner found himself on the losing side as Brighton’s dismal run rolled on – Hinshelwood turning into his own net while challenging Tyrone Mings from substitute Leon Bailey’s corner.

Ferdi Kadioglu had previously gone closest to breaking the deadlock when his dipping long-range effort was tipped onto the crossbar by Emiliano Martinez at the other end.

Watch: Martinez's incredible save to deny Kadioglu

While Villa tightened their grip on third spot, moving five points clear of Manchester United, it is now just one win in 13 league matches for 14th-place Brighton.

How the match unfolded

Villa went the closest to scoring during a first half of few chances, with Emiliano Buendia flashing an attempt wide from the edge of the box just before the break, via a slight Joel Veltman deflection.

The highlight of the opening period came in the 22nd minute when Milner came on for his milestone-matching appearance, with the 40-year-old replacing Carlos Baleba, who was treading carefully after receiving an early yellow card.

Brighton increased their attacking threat in the second half. Kaoru Mitoma bent an effort narrowly wide, while Martinez did superbly to nudge Kadioglu's attempt onto the woodwork.

The visitors continued to look the more likely side to open the scoring. Hinshelwood fired over following a swift counter in the 70th minute, and Milner called Martinez into action with a curling effort from a tight angle.

However, there was to be a twist in the 86th minute, when Mings’ glancing header ricocheted off Hinshelwood and beyond Bart Verbruggen as Villa snatched victory.

Watch: Villa's late winner against Brighton

Villa bounce back

Draws for Manchester United and Chelsea on Tuesday offered Villa a chance to consolidate their spot in third place, but they came into this contest on the back of consecutive home defeats in the league, having gone down 1-0 to both Brentford and Everton.

Yet they were on the right side of a narrow margin this time around, and even if there was a good stroke of fortune around their winner, Unai Emery will care little.

The hosts were the more threatening of the two sides during the first half, but severely lacking the type of cutting edge that had seen them surge up the table earlier in the season.

And their concentration levels were tested after the break as Brighton emerged with more purpose to their game.

But while lapses have come back to cost them as of late, including for Rayan’s equaliser for AFC Bournemouth last time out, this time Villa stayed focused throughout.

Fittingly, on his 200th Villa appearance, Mings made a vital contribution – he appeared to make the slightest of connections to Bailey’s cross, and it was just enough to send the ball in via the unlucky Hinshelwood.

After something of a reality check on home soil in recent weeks, that is just the boost Emery’s side needed. They welcome Newcastle United in the FA Cup on Saturday.

Milner matches Barry on bittersweet night

Milner did not get on the pitch as Brighton lost to Crystal Palace on Sunday; had he done so, then he could have set a new Premier League record this time around.

As it is, the evergreen midfielder will have to wait until at least 21 February, when Brighton face Brentford, to make history. For now, he will settle for a share of it, alongside another former Villa stalwart in the shape of Barry.

Though now aged 40, Milner demonstrated he still has the energy to get in where it hurts: almost getting his head on the end of a cross at one end, before denying Douglas Luiz a sight at goal at the other moments later.

Despite his efforts, though, Brighton are now without a win in six Premier League games, and Fabian Hurzeler’s team may well be casting a nervous glance over their shoulder at the teams below them, who are – slowly but surely – closing ground.

Hurzeler will no doubt lament back luck, with Hinshelwood in the wrong place at the wrong time to ensure Brighton’s barren run continued.

They will seek a response against Liverpool – another one of Milner’s old clubs – in the FA Cup on Saturday.

Club reports

Aston Villa report | Brighton report

What the managers said

Unai Emery: “We recovered a little bit the energy we needed, but there’s still work to do to recover more – more for us, for the supporters. And, of course, we are with 50 points, and today, how we achieved those three points, really is fantastic.

“Tough match, difficult match. The last two matches at home in Premier League, we lost. Today was very important to try to compete, to try to recover our mood individually and collectively, energy, winning of course is helping us.

“And, of course, keep going. And today, one step forward during the season, really, we needed it.”

Fabian Hurzeler: “I’m definitely frustrated, but we showed a good reaction to Sunday and I learned a lot about the players in the last days in terms of their character and how they stick together. You could see that in the performance.

“I'm sorry for our fans who were absolutely amazing and who supported us for 90 minutes. We deserve to win but we have to keep going."

PL form and fixtures

Key facts

Villa have won eight of their last 10 Premier League games against Brighton (D1 L1) and have now completed the double over them for the third time after also doing so in 2022/23 and 2023/24.

Hinshelwood’s own goal in the 86th minute was the third latest goal Villa have scored in a 1-0 Premier League home win after Andreas Weimann v Fulham in March 2012 (93rd minute) and Nolberto Solano v Blackburn Rovers in January 2005 (88th minute). 

No team have scored more own goals in the Premier League so far this season than Brighton with four as many as they leaked in the previous two seasons combined (two in both 2023/24 and 2024/25).

Villa have scored eight goals from corners in the Premier League this season with only Arsenal (14), Tottenham Hotspur (13) and Chelsea (nine) netting more.