Watkins Absent as Villa Crumble | Belfast News

Aston Villa suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Brighton, but the real story? Star striker Ollie Watkins was mysteriously left out of the squad. Manager Unai Emery refused to comment on Watkins’ absence, deflecting blame to the player or his agent — while rumors swirl that Watkins is eyeing a lucrative move to Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, despite four rejected offers. With Watkins gone, Villa fielded a makeshift attack without a true striker, and it showed — they were crushed before halftime. Things got worse when Joao Gomes picked up a red card on his debut. Emery admitted the team crumbled early but urged remaining players to stay mentally tough. Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler praised his side’s composure after taking advantage of Villa’s chaos, turning a shaky start into a dominant win.

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