Brighton run riot against 10-man Aston Villa
Brighton & Hove Albion defeated Aston Villa 4-0 in their Premier League season opener. The match featured a dominant performance by Brighton and a red card for Aston Villa's João Gomes.
Why it matters
Early season results in major sports leagues set the tone for team standings and fan engagement throughout the year.
Brighton & Hove Albion began their Premier League campaign in spectacular fashion, sweeping aside Aston Villa 4-0 at the Amex Stadium.
Villa made a promising start, with Emiliano Buendia going close early on, but Brighton soon took control. Maxim de Cuyper opened the scoring after Pau Torres ' misplaced pass presented him with an opportunity, with his effort taking a deflection off Victor Lindelof on its way into the net.
The Belgian doubled the advantage 10 minutes later, arriving unmarked to convert Georginio Rutter 's cutback from close range.
Brighton's relentless pressure continued and Jack Hinshelwood made it 3-0 shortly after the half-hour mark, heading home after Diego Gomez had kept De Cuyper's cross alive.
The midfielder struck again just moments later when Yasin Ayari won possession inside the Villa area, leaving Hinshelwood with a straightforward finish.
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