84’
Ollie Watkins and Tyrone Mings scored in the last seven minutes to deliver a debut victory for new head coach Steven Gerrard, as Aston Villa beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0.
Until then, it had been a case of the goalkeepers being on top at Villa Park.
Brighton's Jason Steele, standing in for the suspended Robert Sanchez, kept out Matty Cash’s header in the 12th minute, while Emiliano Martinez saved Leandro Trossard’s shot before smothering a Tariq Lamptey effort in first-half stoppage time.
Steele then stepped up again after the restart when he stopped a Mings header.
It was going to take something special to break the deadlock and Watkins delivered it in the 84th minute, cutting in from the left flank and finishing with aplomb.
Mings then fired home in the 89th minute to confirm a win which ends Villa’s run of five straight defeats.
Gerrard's side move up to 15th with 13 points, four points behind Brighton, who drop to eighth.
See: Villa report | Brighton report
Next fixtures
Aston Villa: 27 Nov v Crystal Palace (A)
Brighton: 27 Nov v Leeds (H)
Match officials
Referee: Anthony Taylor. Assistants: Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn. Fourth official: Stuart Attwell. VAR: Peter Bankes. Assistant VAR: Lee Betts.
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