Brighton vs Aston Villa LIVE: Premier League result and final score after late Joao Pedro winner
Brighton 1-0 Aston Villa: The hosts ended a six-game winless run to stall Villa’s top-four hopes
Brighton snapped a six-match winless run in the Premier League when they beat Aston Villa 1-0 at home after Joao Pedro scored an 87th-minute winner in a scrappy affair.
Simon Adingra had been Brighton’s busiest player throughout the game and it was his foray into the box late in the second half which drew a foul from Villa full back Ezri Konsa which forced the referee to point to the spot.
Villa’s stand-in keeper Robin Olsen had made several saves to keep his side in the game and even denied Joao Pedro from the spot, but he could do nothing when the Brazilian headed home the rebound for his 20th goal of the season in all competitions.
The result moved Brighton up to 11th place with 47 points while Villa are fourth with 67 points as they continue to wait to seal a spot in next season’s Champions League with fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur still in the hunt.
Follow the latest action from the Premier League below.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
Penalty Miss João Pedro Junqueira de Jesus
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
Substitution Billy Clifford Gilmour Carlos Noom Quomah Baleba
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
Substitution Daniel Nii Tackie Mensah Welbeck Jakub Piotr Moder
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
PENALTY FOR BRIGHTON! Having struggled to handle him all game long, Konsa finally loses his battle with Adingra, bringing the Ivorian down in the box and conceding a penalty! The Seagulls will have a late chance to snatch all three points at the Amex!
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
JUST WIDE! Sending the ball narrowly past the left-hand post with a looping header from Enciso's cross, Welbeck just misses out on opening the scoring! For once, Olsen was well beaten, but the ball drifts just wide of the target!
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
The most prominent player on the pitch, Adingra again picks up the ball on the left side of Villa's area; his low shot lacks enough power to test Olsen, who makes one of the simplest saves of an increasingly busy shift between the posts.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
GOAL CHECK! After Bailey whips in a corner from the right, the ball eventually makes its way to McGinn around 10 yards from goal. Villa's captain guides it calmly into the bottom-left corner, but the flag is immediately raised for offside. The VAR reviews it from several angles before finally agreeing with the on-pitch officials' original decision!
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
Adingra tries to jockey his way past Konsa, but the latter stays on his feet and manages to block the ball behind for a corner-kick. Olsen can't claim Gilmour's delivery from the left, but Diego Carlos helps his goalkeeper out.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
Dunk leaps just in time to guide Bailey's dipping cross towards substitute Duran in the centre, and it will be a throw-in for Aston Villa deep in Brighton territory.
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