Villa Collapse as Watkins Pushes for a Move Away
The Premier League’s opening weekend has reached its conclusion, with one result arguably standing out more than any other. Yes, Manchester United’s loss to Hull City was really funny for all but the Old Trafford faithful, yet it is Aston Villa’s 4-0 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion that will have many people sitting up and taking notice.
Unai Emery’s side, the reigning Europa League champions, were beaten comfortably on Sunday after being reduced to ten men before half-time, with Ollie Watkins reportedly trying to engineer a move to Saudi Arabia.
What’s Going On
Brighton took the lead early on against Villa through a Victor Lindelöf own goal in the 8th minute. After that, Maxim De Cuyper made it two in the 18th minute, then Jack Hinshelwood scored twice inside a single minute either side of the half-hour mark to put Fabian Hurzeler’s side 4-0 up after 31 minutes. João Gomes was then sent off for a second yellow card in the 40th minute, leaving Villa to play out more than fifty minutes with ten men. It made them only the second team in Premier League history to concede four goals, have a player sent off and score an own goal inside one first-half.
Brighton 4 (4.1) – (0.3) 0 Villa
— Cannon Stats (@cannonstats.com) 23 August 2026 at 16:06
Ollie Watkins wasn’t there to see any of it. According to reports, Al-Hilal have had four bids rejected for the striker, the most recent of which was worth around €45 million, and Villa are holding out for closer to €65 million for a player who still has two years left on his contract and has already turned down a new four-year deal at Villa Park. He missed training in the days before the Brighton match and returned on Monday to apologise to teammates and staff, which at least makes him a realistic option to face Arsenal at Villa Park this weekend.
A Mini Exodus?
Asked directly about the absence after the Brighton defeat, Emery would say only that it was ‘a question for him.’ Villa spent much of August looking to replace Emiliano Martínez by signing the Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki from Parma for a fee reported at up to €35 million. A club that won the Europa League in May is now negotiating the exits of its captain and its first-choice goalkeeper inside the same transfer window, so losing 4-0 at Brighton isn’t exactly an ideal start to the season for Emery or his players.
The Premier League’s transfer window shuts on the first of September, but Saudi Arabia’s stays open until the 12th of October, so Al-Hilal have little incentive to meet Villa’s valuation before the Villans lose the ability to spend the money that they’d get for the striker. Best guess is that Watkins plays some part against Arsenal before the club eventually agrees to sell him, but with the likes of Morgan Rodgers, Ezri Konsa and Youri Tielemans already having left Villa Park, it isn’t looking great for the West Midlands side.