Jadon Sancho for Aston Villa
Aston Villa are not at their free-flowing best.
It has been a while since Unai Emery's side were riding the incredible wave that led to 12 wins from 13 Premier League fixtures. It was that run that fired the Villans into Champions League contention (they have even been considered outsiders in the title race).
They are contenders still, just six points behind Arsenal (whose game in hand comes on Thursday evening at Brentford), with 12 games to go.
Brighton & Hove Albion might have felt aggrieved that they left Villa Park with nothing to show for a spirited performance, but Aston Villa know many different tricks, and their balance and blend of ingredients are paying dividends.
However, the Midlands side do have areas where they can improve, with Jadon Sancho leaving something to be desired against the Seagulls.
Jadon Sancho's performance
Sancho has endured an indifferent season on loan at Aston Villa. The Manchester United winger is as gifted as they come, but he's struggled for form across several seasons in the Premier League.
Against Brighton, he left a lot to be desired after a bright opening ten minutes, fading before being withdrawn on the hour mark.
Aston Villa's Jadon Sancho
The England international, whose last cap came in 2021, has started four Premier League matches in a row for Emery's side, but still he has struggled for fluency in his attacking performance.
He created three chances for his teammates and showcased his directness and his style, but the electric-paced forward lacks clarity, and Leon Bailey should receive the nod going forward, more incisive in the danger area.
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Jadon Sancho vs Brighton
Stats
Minutes played
Goals + Assists
Touches
Shots (on target)
Accurate passes
Chances created
Dribbles
Def. contributions
Duels won
Errors made
Data via Sofascore
It feels strange to suggest that a winger is at the last-chance saloon aged 25, but Sancho is running out of tickets in the English game, and he will need to maintain a level of form over the business months of the campaign if he is to convince the Villa hierarchy of his potential still untapped.
With Bailey back and looking bright off the bench, he should be dropped, but there's an even more high-profile member of the squad who may well follow him to the bench ahead of the FA Cup clash against Newcastle United this weekend.
Emery could drop Villa superstar
Aston Villa have punched above their weight this season, having endured a testing summer transfer window that many felt would precipitate a tough campaign.
That hasn't been the case, with Ollie Watkins and co defying expectations once again.
Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins in action
Watkins hasn't been at his sharpest of late, though, and this proved the case against a solid Brighton backline who nullified his threat and kept him away from the rest of his team, somewhat starved of service.
Somewhat starved of service against the Seagulls, Watkins managed one wayward shot, and while he took 18 touches (Emi Martinez managed 73), he didn't create a chance. Adding insult to injury, the Three Lions forward lost all four of his contested duels, and that having committed three fouls.
Watkins is still considered Villa's first-choice striker, but with Tammy Abraham now breathing down his back, , especially after Birmingham Live's John Townley gave the 30-year-old a 5/10 match rating after failing to make a nuisance of himself in the final third.
After all, Emery and co moved for Abraham for this very reason, and given that the English striker technically found the back of the net on his debut against Brentford - disallowed in a call that the Spanish manager said was "unfair" - he's surely now in line for another shot from the opening whistle.
Watkins has a talismanic part to play across the remaining months of the campaign, but whether he should start every single game is another question.
Tammy Abraham
Aston Villa are skilled winners, adept at grinding out wins, but variation in attacking formations would only work in Emery's favour, keeping opponents guessing over the business months of the season.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery before the match