The Media Review: Aston Villa (A)

Main Club Sponsor

TICKETS

SHOP

Nick Szczepanik

2024-12-31T11:00+00:00

There are some away games when you understand that the locally-based writers will be obsessed by the performance of the home side and that anything Albion do will be an afterthought. But in the complex footballing ecosphere of the West Midlands, the club loyalties can be many and varied.

So this column was delighted to find one of its favourite football writers, dedicated bluenose Neil Moxley - the biographer of former Albion manager Micky Adams - reporting for The Mirror on the 2-2 draw against Aston Villa. And Moxley clearly enjoyed Tariq Lamptey’s late leveller as Fabian Hurzeler’s men ended 2024 with a very satisfying result.

“Unai Emery moaned about VAR - but he could have no complaints about one of the strikes of the season that floored Villa,” he wrote. “Emery spoke out after striker Jhon Duran was dismissed at St James’s Park without use of a replay by officials.

“It came to his aid against Brighton although it couldn’t help Villa to three points. And that was because the Seagulls showcased the very best of their talent to grab a late point at Villa Park.

“Fabian Hurzeler’s side were searching desperately for a route back into the game as they trailed 2-1 going into the final ten minutes. And they went back to front in stunning style - with a move that spanned the full length of the pitch - with full-back Tariq Lamptey thumping home a delicious finish.

“The Seagulls were deservedly ahead thanks to Simon Adingra’s neat 12th-minute strike. Lewis Dunk belted a ball forward 50 yards for Joao Pedro to chase. Ezri Konsa and Diego Carlos got in a muddle and Adingra spotted his chance. He picked up the loose ball and fired it past Emi Martinez.

“They fell behind within 72 seconds of the restart and that was the way it stayed until Brighton superbly found the net from their own goalline with ten minutes to go.”

The Sun’s Graeme Bryce wrote that “Tariq Lamptey salvaged a point for the Seagulls with a stunning late strike to spoil Ollie Watkins' 29th birthday bash.

“This affair was fast, furious and had a flurry of bookings and controversy. It all started with a bang - when Joao Pedro clashed heads with Boubacar Kamara - and the game was held up for four minutes while his split eye was patched up.

“The Seagulls striker returned, resembling Rab C. Nesbitt and the slapstick continued as Villa boss Unai Emery hit the deck rushing to retrieve the ball at a throw-in! Everywhere you looked bodies were crashing into each other and hitting the turf.

Simon Adingra's goal was his first in the Premier League since the opening day of the campaign. 📷 by James Boardman.

“But it was Brighton who landed the first real blow after 12 minutes. Lewis Dunk's long ball out of defence wasn't dealt with by Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres who were outmuscled by Joao Pedro.

“The ball fell to Simon Adingra who chopped inside onto his right foot and curled a beauty beyond Emi Martinez into the far corner from the edge of the box.

“Ollie Watkins kept his cool and dished up a birthday treat as he sent Verbruggen the wrong way from the spot to celebrate his 29th birthday with a goal.

“Villa hit the front two minutes into the second half. Watkins lofted the ball over the Brighton defence after the Seagulls only half-cleared a corner and Rogers took the ball down on his chest before crashing it beyond Verbruggen.

“However, Brighton refused to accept their fate and hit back with a stunning equaliser nine minutes from the end. Pedro worked a one-two with Mitoma and laid it off for Tariq Lamptey who slammed a low shot beyond Martinez from just inside the box to earn the Seagulls a hard-won point.”

In The Guardian, Will Unwin began by paying Albion’s point-saver a somewhat back-handed compliment. “Tariq Lamptey spent most of his night worried about how his direct opponent Morgan Rogers was the most-likely matchwinner, but it was the right-back who settled the result with a fine equaliser as Brighton secured a draw,” he wrote.

“Rogers and Ollie Watkins had put Villa into the lead after a Simon Adingra opener and the hosts sensed victory until Lamptey scored his third goal in almost 100 Premier League games for Brighton to level with less than ten minutes to go.

“Aston Villa were the more threatening against a team that arrived without a win in six matches but Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres were feeling generous, and gifted Adingra the first goal. Lewis Dunk punted a long ball over the top that the full-back and centre-back failed to deal with under light pressure from João Pedro, before Adingra stepped in and curled his shot into the corner from inside the area, leaving Konsa bellowing at his own ineptitude.

“The opener brought the fans’ frustrations to the fore as misplaced passes and lost possession were met with weighty groans inside Villa Park. The Seagulls would have had a second when Julio Enciso took advantage of a quick break, only to see Emiliano Martínez tip his shot from distance wide.”

After Villa had taken the lead, “Fabian Hürzeler did what he could to get Brighton into the game by making a triple change before the hour. Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh brought some much-needed verve to their output and it was the Japanese winger that helped create the equaliser when he found João Pedro in the box, who laid the ball into the path of Lamptey to fire into the corner from 18 yards. Lamptey had earned greater freedom by the fact Rogers had been moved centrally after a tactical tweak, allowing him to push further forward without fear of being exposed.”

Craig Pawson was at the monitor for a long time before awarding Aston Villa a penalty. 📷 by James Boardman.

Tom Collomosse of The Daily Mail concentrated more on a couple of VAR controversies. But he also reported that “some dire defending had let in Albion. Ezri Konsa did not deal with Lewis Dunk’s ball over the top and was held off by Joao Pedro, allowing Adingra to sneak past Pau Torres and beat Martinez with an angled effort.”

And later that “with only a one-goal lead, Villa were always vulnerable and Pedro hammered a good chance over after Kamara had dawdled on the ball. And the home side were punished for being so wasteful when Lamptey finished a fine move involving Mitoma and Pedro by hammering beyond Martinez from 16 yards.”