Watkins scores hat trick in Aston Villa's 6-1 rout of Brighton

Aston Villa delivered a convincing 6-1 victory against top-four contenders Brighton & Hove Albion, largely propelled by a remarkable hat-trick from Ollie Watkins.

Watkins accomplished a remarkable feat by becoming the fourth player to score in four consecutive matches against Brighton. His scoring spree commenced in the 14th minute when he tapped the ball into the net from a precise delivery by Matty Cash.

The Villa striker was far from finished, adding his second goal just seven minutes later. Moussa Diaby set Watkins up with a pass down the left, and Watkins skillfully cut inside onto his right foot, ultimately beating Brighton's goalkeeper, Jason Steele, at his near post.

Brighton's woes deepened in the 26th minute when Pervis Estupinan inadvertently turned Diaby's wayward shot into his own net. Brighton managed to pull one back five minutes into the second half. Ansu Fati, who was among three half-time substitutes introduced by Roberto De Zerbi, scored his debut Premier League goal with just his second touch of the match.

Watkins completed his second Premier League hat-trick in the 65th minute. His shot during a breakaway was deflected past Steele, courtesy of a touch from Adam Webster.

The goal fest didn't stop there. Jacob Ramsey joined in with a spectacular curling effort from the edge of the box, and Watkins added an assist to his name. Douglas Luiz added the final blow, securing Villa's third position by capitalizing on a rebound after Steele had blocked Watkins' shot.

With this emphatic victory, Aston Villa surpassed Brighton in the Premier League standings, clinching the third position.

SportsLigue