Unai Emery’s in-form side held on for an eighth victory in nine top-flight outings.

Ollie Watkins ended an 11-game goal drought with a first-half brace as high-flying Aston Villa overturned a two-goal deficit to beat Brighton 4-3 at the Amex Stadium.

Jan Paul van Hecke’s close-range finish and a Pau Torres own goal put the Seagulls on course to leapfrog Villa in the Premier League table.

But England international Watkins, who ahead of kick-off had struck once in 19 appearances this term, levelled with his eighth and ninth career goals against Albion, before Amadou Onana and substitute Donyell Malen completed the turnaround.

Seagulls centre-back Van Hecke set up a tense finale by claiming his second of the evening seven minutes from time.

However, Unai Emery’s in-form side held on for

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