00:00Good evening from Villa Park. Well 2024 has been a memorable year for Villa for many reasons.
00:08Obviously returning to the Champions League or the top seven of European football for the first time in 40 years.
00:14But it's a year that's ending on a rather frustrating note.
00:17A 3-0 defeat at Newcastle on Boxing Day followed tonight with a 2-2 draw at home to Brighton.
00:24Villa were behind early on, conceded a rather sloppy goal.
00:27Fought back to lead 2-1 early in the second half and then really had all the momentum
00:32and you felt they were going to put Brighton away and go on to record a fourth consecutive home league win.
00:39But they weren't able to get that third goal.
00:42Brighton made some good changes.
00:44The game became a bit more even and then nine minutes before time, Tarek Lamte scoring an equaliser for the visitors.
00:53So just a point for Villa which keeps a ninth in the table.
00:56And while they're still very much in the race for European football and indeed the Champions League,
01:01they do have work to do over the second half of the season.
01:04They are in the chasing pack rather than head of the field or head of the chasing pack as they were this time last year.
01:11Potentially the biggest news of the night came in the 20th minute.
01:14Pau Torres going off injured, had to be helped off the field by two members of the Villa coaching staff
01:20and was seen leaving the stadium later on on crutches and wearing a protective boot over his foot.
01:27Unai Emery feels, fears rather, that the Spain international has suffered a broken metatarsal
01:32which has obviously ruled him out for some time and be a serious blow for Villa who still have much to play for in 2025.
01:39Otherwise, again, similar story for Villa tonight.
01:42They conceded a couple of, well one sloppy goal.
01:45It has to be said Brighton's equaliser was a really fantastic team goal.
01:48And while Villa did score twice, once the first equaliser ironically enough with the help of a VAR check.
01:54Unai Emery said he wanted to see more VAR used in the Premier League this season.
01:59Well it certainly was in the first half here.
02:01There was a very long check before Ollie Watkins scored a penalty.
02:05Ollie Watkins then set up Morgan Rodgers to put Villa ahead.
02:08But Villa just lack composure, lack finesse in the final third.
02:13And at the moment they concede too many sloppy goals and they don't take enough of their chances.
02:18Not really a recipe for success.
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