Brighton lanched their Premier League marketing campaign with a dominant 4-0 win over 10-man Aston Villa. Picture: AFP
BRIGHTON:
Brighton lanched their Premier League marketing campaign with a dominant 4-0 win over 10-man Aston Villa on the Amex Stadium on Sunday.
It took the Seagulls simply eight minutes to open the scoring as Maxim de Cuyper pressured an personal aim from Victor Lindelof earlier than the Belgian made it 2-0 10 minutes later.
Europa League champions Villa, who completed fourth in England’s top-flight final season, then capitulated fully as Jack Hinshelwood struck two objectives in as many minutes to place Brighton 4-0 up.
To make issues worse for the guests, Unai Emery’s facet have been diminished to 10 males following a purple card for Joao Gomes, whose nightmare debut solely lasted 40 minutes.
Villa had in reality made a promising begin and Emiliano Buendia nearly gave them guests the lead inside 5 minutes after he stole possession just for his shot to overlook however the backside nook of the online by a matter of inches.
Brighton, nonetheless, made the many of the first probability that got here their approach after Villa defender Pau Torres’s blind go into his personal field discovered De Cuyper, whose shot struck the submit earlier than moving into off the unlucky Lindelof.
The Seagulls quickly doubled their lead, with Georginio Rutter making a well-timed run to get behind the Villa defence, along with his reduce turned in by De Cuyper from six yards out.
Fabian Hurzeler’s facet have been 3-0 up come the half-hour mark when Hinshelwood tapped in from shut vary after De Cuyper’s cross from the left was knocked again throughout the aim by Diego Gomez.
And only a minute later, Yasin Ayari robbed Gomes of possession within the Villa field to set-up Hinshelwood for his second aim as south coast facet Brighton went 4-0 as much as the delight of their house crowd.
Villa’s afternoon deteriorated nonetheless additional shortly earlier than half time when Gomes, already on a yellow card, kicked out at Rutter and acquired a straight purple following a video assistant referee (VAR) evaluate.
Birmingham membership Villa did not less than handle to forestall Brighton from scoring once more in a goalless second half, however by then the injury had lengthy been achieved in what was an emphatic success for the Seagulls.