Marcus Rashford scored his first Premier League goal for Aston Villa in their 3-0 victory over Brighton to boost their European hopes amid controversial VAR decisions.
Rashford, who netted twice in Villa’s 3-0 win at Preston in the FA Cup at the weekend, put the visitors ahead early in the second half before substitutes Marco Asensio and Donyell Malen wrapped up a sixth consecutive victory in all competitions.
Brighton had Simon Adingra’s equaliser ruled out after the VAR deemed Kaoru Mitoma had deliberately handled the ball in the build-up and sent referee Stuart Attwell to the pitchside monitor to chalk it off.
Attwell and VAR played a key part throughout with the other significant decision occurring in the first half when Villa were denied a penalty. Jacob Ramsey went over Jack Hinshelwood’s outstretched right leg but Attwell was unmoved and the VAR ruled that the contact was not enough to “reach the threshold for a foul”.
Brighton also had a penalty appeal on Mitoma turned down during the first half while VAR allowed Asensio’s goal to stand after a coming together between Ollie Watkins and Mats Wieffer before Wieffer went down again holding his head early in the move when Malen scored.
Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler, who has been shown four yellow cards and one red this season, said: “I think the decisions they made were right but it breaks the rhythm and it takes really, really long.
“You have to stay calm but everyone who plays football and is emotionally involved, it’s not that easy especially when all the little things go against you.”
The hosts had come closest to opening the scoring in the first half, hitting a post from Yasin Ayari’s free-kick but the result saw them booed off and now leaves them a place below Villa, who are up to seventh.
“I don’t know for who the boos were,” said Hurzeler. “We tried everything on the pitch, that’s what we always try to do.
“I don’t know who the fans reacted to but we have to do better next time so they don’t boo anymore.”
January signings delivering for Villa
Donyell Malen celebrates scoring Aston Villa’s third goal with team-mates Boubacar Kamara and Marco Asensio
Analysis by Sky Sports’ Callum Bishop:
In the race for Europe, it was Aston Villa who had the clinical edge over Brighton at the Amex Stadium, with three second-half goals enough to secure the points. And the goalscorers will especially leave Unai Emery a happy man.
With the Villains fighting on multiple fronts, they invested heavily in firepower during the January transfer window. Donyell Malen, Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio all arrived on loan and they were all key to victory on Wednesday night.
Rashford kept his place as the central striker following his FA Cup double against Preston, and he proved his manager right by capping off an incisive breakaway to find the opening goal. As Brighton probed for an equaliser, Emery turned to his bench and sent Asensio and Malen on to help be more clinical on the counter-attack.
It was an inspired choice. Asensio smartly finished for his eighth goal in his last seven appearances for Villa, which is more than any Premier League player since he arrived in England. Malen was then on hand to wrap the game up deep into stoppage time for his first in Villa colours.
Marco Asensio doubles Aston Villa’s lead at Brighton
The fact that Ollie Watkins, the man who is usually at centre of all things goals at Villa Park, barely did anything of note, should actually be incredibly reassuring ahead of a busy period.
There is no let up for the Midlands outfit, with a Champions League quarter-final and a trip to Wembley on the horizon. And with so many games to navigate, squad depth is crucial.
Villa have made shrewd decisions in the market and the impact they have had and should continue to have, may be the difference between Emery’s side achieving their goals come season’s end.
Hurzeler: We have to do better
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler told Sky Sports:
“After the goal for them, the game changed. They defended in a low block and it was quite good. We weren’t able to create any more chances. The first goal changed the game.
“It was frustrating in that moment to concede a goal so easily. We were dominant. We needed a bit of time. We scored but it was disallowed. It was a mix of everything but we have to do it better.
“These are the things we can influence on the pitch. How we are positioned off the corner and high pressure. We need to do these right otherwise you don’t deserve to win.
“I would say we were just not precise. I don’t think the maturity would have made the difference today. Do the small things right. To do the things we need to win on the pitch. These we have to maximize.”
Emery: We could play Rashford and Watkins together
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery told Sky Sports:
“Keep going is the message for him [Rashford]. Playing more minutes means he’s getting physically better, he’s scoring more goals. We’re playing him as a striker and trying to compete with Watkins. Maybe going forward we can play them together.
“Try to exploit his [Rashford’s] qualities. He’s in the best confidence moment. On Sunday, we planned to play him as a striker and he scored two goals so I decided to go again and he scored.”
