Aston Villa Held As Lamptey Salvages Late Point For Brighton

Aston Villa lost hopes of strengthening their push for a top-four Premier League finish as Tariq Lamptey's late equaliser earned Brighton a 2-2 draw at Villa Park on Monday.

Villa's Ollie Watkins celebrated his birthday with a goal and an assist, helping Morgan Rogers put the hosts ahead after Simon Adingras early strike for Brighton. However, Lamptey's emphatic finish in the 81st minute extended Brighton's winless run to seven games while frustrating Villa's ambitions.

Despite the setback, Villa manager Unai Emery insisted his side remains in the hunt for Champions League qualification.

We played a fantastic match. The first 20 minutes we started lower than planned and conceded, but we reacted well, Emery said. The table is tight, and we are in the race for the second part of the season.

Aston Villa, currently ninth, sit six points off the top four after an inconsistent campaign. Brighton, meanwhile, are 10th but struggling to regain momentum in a winless streak stretching over seven games.