Overview
- Brighton led 2-0 through Jan Paul van Hecke's close-range finish and a Pau Torres own goal before Aston Villa rallied.
- Ollie Watkins ended an 11-game drought by scoring twice before half-time to level the match.
- Amadou Onana headed Villa in front on the hour and substitute Donyell Malen added a fourth, with Van Hecke later reducing the deficit.
- Emiliano Martínez withdrew in the warm-up with back pain, and replacement Marco Bizot rebounded from an early error with a stoppage-time save to deny Danny Welbeck.
- Brighton suffered their first home defeat of the season as Villa notched a sixth straight win in all competitions and turn next to a home test against leaders Arsenal.