Villa’s victory over Brighton marred by VAR controversies, with a disallowed goal and denied penalties.

Aston Villa stormed to a 3-0 victory over Brighton at the Amex Stadium, but the match was overshadowed by a string of controversial VAR calls that left the home side and their fans fuming. Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio, and Donyell Malen delivered the goals, but Brighton’s disallowed equaliser and denied penalty appeals fuelled heated post-match debate.

Villa, riding high on momentum, extended their winning streak to six games in all competitions, boosting their European hopes. Rashford, fresh off an FA Cup brace, fired in his first Premier League goal for the club, justifying Unai Emery’s faith in him as a central striker. But the biggest talking points weren’t the goals—it was the refereeing decisions that left Brighton enraged.

VAR Drama Dominates the Night

Brighton thought they had equalised through Simon Adingra, only for VAR to intervene and rule the goal out. After a lengthy review, referee Stuart Attwell was sent to the pitchside monitor and judged that Kaoru Mitoma had deliberately handled the ball in the build-up. The decision was met with disbelief in the stadium, with Brighton fans loudly venting their frustration.

But the controversy didn’t stop there. Villa were denied a penalty in the first half when Jacob Ramsey appeared to be tripped by Jack Hinshelwood inside the box. Despite strong appeals, Attwell waved play on, and VAR deemed the contact insufficient for a foul. Brighton had their own penalty shout dismissed when Mitoma was bundled over, further fuelling the feeling of injustice among the home crowd.

To compound Brighton’s misery, VAR allowed Asensio’s goal to stand despite complaints over a challenge in the build-up. Moments before Malen sealed the win in stoppage time, Mats Wieffer had gone down after a clash with Ollie Watkins, but the officials saw nothing wrong.

Villa’s January Signings Prove Their Worth

While Brighton were left frustrated, Villa’s clinical finishing made the difference. Rashford’s breakthrough goal set the tone, finishing off a swift counter-attack to give his side the lead. When Brighton pressed for an equaliser, Emery turned to his bench—and his substitutes delivered.

Asensio doubled the advantage with a composed finish, continuing his red-hot form with his eighth goal in seven games. Malen, another January addition, then wrapped up the victory in stoppage time, marking his first goal in Villa colours. With Villa fighting on multiple fronts—including a Champions League quarter-final and an FA Cup semi-final—Emery’s January reinforcements could prove decisive.

Reactions: Brighton Furious, Villa Focused

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler didn’t directly criticise the officiating but admitted the disruptions affected his team’s rhythm. “The decisions were probably right, but the time it takes breaks the game. It’s frustrating, especially when everything seems to go against you,” he said.

He also brushed off the boos from Brighton fans at full-time, insisting his players gave everything. “I don’t know who the fans were reacting to, but we have to be better so they don’t boo anymore.”

Meanwhile, Emery praised Rashford’s impact and hinted at pairing him with Watkins in future matches. “He’s getting better, scoring more goals, and proving he can lead the line. Maybe we can play them together going forward,” he said.

With Villa climbing to seventh and Brighton slipping behind them, the race for Europe is heating up. But as the dust settles, the biggest debate from the night will be whether VAR got it right—or if Brighton were robbed.