Albion edged out in seven-goal thriller

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Jan Paul van Hecke scores twice but Villa win 4-3 to end Albion's unbeaten home run.

Bruce Talbot

2025-12-03T21:30+00:00

Delight for Jan Paul van Hecke - and his teammates - after his early goal against Aston Villa. 📷Paul Hazlewood

Albion played their part in a seven-goal thriller at the Amex but it was Villa, inspired by a familiar foe, who came out on top.

Ollie Watkins now has nine goals in ten games against the Seagulls after scoring twice in the first half to draw Villa level after Jan Paul van Hecke and Pau Torres’ own goal had Albion in control after half an hour.

Watkins’ second in stoppage time was a big momentum shifter and in the second half Villa pulled away with goals from Amadou Onana and Donyell Malen.

But Albion weren’t finished and van Hecke made it 4-3 with a superb finish from the edge of the box with seven minutes left. They piled forward in the closing stages but Villa clung on and Albion were beaten at home for the first time in 12 games … since Villa’s win in April.

Jan Paul van Hecke scores his second goal of the season from point-blank range. 📷 Paul Hazlewood

Villa had been forced to change their goalkeeper when Emi Martinez was injured in the warm-up and his replacement Marco Bizot was at fault when Albion took a ninth-minute lead. He failed to get anywhere near Ferdi Kadioglu’s inswinging corner and van Hecke nudged the ball over the line at the far post, despite Morgan Rogers’ attempts to clear.

Albion were forced to reorganise midway through the first half when Stefanos Tzimas’s first Premier League start was curtailed by a knee injury and Jack Hinshelwood took his place. Brajan Gruda moved into a more advanced position and soon won a free-kick on the edge of the box when he was fouled by Rogers and Maxim De Cuyper curled his effort a yard over the goal.

Ollie Watkins couldn’t beat Verbruggen after getting in on goal but Albion were on top and doubled their lead in the 29th minute. Hinshelwood was in on goal after Gruda's clever pass and although his shot lacked power a nick off Pau Torres’s heel took it past a wrongfooted Bizot.

Jack Hinshelwood's shot takes a nick off Pau Torres to make it 2-0. 📷Simon Roe

Eight minutes later Villa hit back. Ian Maatsen’s cross from the left should have been cleared with four Albion players in the six-yard box but Watkins got a touch to force it over the line for his first goal since 28 September.

Watkins equalised in stoppage time. Rogers’ ball from deep inside the Villa half sent him away from Albion’s centre-halves and he beat Verbruggen with a right-foot shot.

Stefanos Tzimas challenges Ezri Konsa before he was forced with a knee injury. 📷 Paul Hazlewood

Not surprisingly the momentum was with Villa at the start of the second half with Verbruggen saving from Rogers and Maatsen. On the hour they were in front when Onana met a corner at the far post ahead of De Cuyper and headed in.

Verbruggen’s reflexes prevented Lewis Dunk from marking his 500th Albion appearance with an own goal but it was 4-2 with 12 minutes remaining. Watkins’ header into the six-yard box found Evann Guessand and although Verbruggen did brilliantly to push out out his header, Donyell Malen prodded in the loose ball.

Jan Paul van Hecke gives Albion late hope with this superb finish. 📷James Boardman

Albion kept going and when Hinshelwood teed up van Hecke on the edge of the box he swept a fine right-footed finish past Bizet. It was all Albion in the closing stages and Bizot atoned for his earlier error with a fingertip save to deny Danny Welbeck, who headed the resultant corner wide with seconds to go.

Albion: Verbruggen, Kadioglu (Welbeck 67), Dunk, van Hecke, Wieffer, Gomez, De Cuyper, Grud (Kostoulas 77), Baleba (Veltman 77), Minteh, Tzimas (Hinshelwood 23).