Unai Emery, the manager of Aston Villa, has declared that his team's narrow 1-0 triumph over Brighton at Villa Park was an essential victory in the Premier League. The match, which took place on Wednesday, 11 February 2026, saw Villa clinch the decisive goal just five minutes from time when Brighton's Jack Hinshelwood inadvertently turned the ball into his own net.
A Tense Encounter at Villa Park
The game unfolded as a closely contested affair, with both sides struggling to break the deadlock in a low-key first half. Brighton's Ferdi Kadioglu came close early on, striking the crossbar in one of the match's first significant opportunities. Meanwhile, James Milner, making his record-equalling 653rd Premier League appearance, was denied a goal by Villa's goalkeeper Emi Martinez, adding to the tension.
Key Moments and Substitutions
Brighton faced an early setback when Carlos Baleba received a yellow card in the second minute, leading to his substitution in the 22nd minute by the 40-year-old Milner. This decision visibly upset Baleba on the bench, highlighting the high stakes of the match. As the game progressed, Villa's persistence paid off when Leon Bailey delivered a teasing corner, resulting in Hinshelwood's unfortunate own goal that sealed the win for the home side.
Emery's Post-Match Reflections
Speaking after the match, Emery emphasized the necessity of the victory, especially following recent home defeats to Brentford and Everton. He stated, "We needed to win. How? Sometimes playing better or worse. We needed to recover confidence today. The three points are very, very important." He acknowledged that the match was evenly balanced, with Villa performing worse in the second half but still managing to secure the points through set-pieces.
Emery also praised his team's resilience and focus, adding, "We focus on ourselves, in our way, our points and how we build the team. We are trying to focus on each match." He highlighted the contributions of key players, particularly Tyrone Mings, who started back-to-back league games for the first time since recovering from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for two months.
Praise for Villa's Defensive Duo
Emery was quick to commend Mings, who celebrated his 200th appearance for Villa and was involved in the winning goal, as well as Pau Torres. He said, "He played a fantastic game and scored a fantastic goal. We were resilient and we can win through set-pieces with the players we have." Emery noted that both defenders offer different qualities that the team can exploit to achieve success.
Brighton's Disappointment
On the opposing side, Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler expressed frustration over the result, believing his team did not deserve to lose the tight contest. He remarked, "We all know we definitely deserved more. The first half was tight, the second half we dominated and controlled the game." Hurzeler lamented that Villa's goal came "out of nowhere," but urged his team to stay united and work harder to improve their fortunes, as they currently sit in 14th place in the league.
He concluded, "We have to stick together, put our chin up. We cannot always blame luck, we have to take responsibility. I feel very sorry for the fans, they definitely deserve more." This defeat adds pressure on Brighton as they aim to climb the Premier League table in the coming matches.
