The Ecuadorian full-back was run ragged by Cash, and Kaoru Mitoma was not even afforded the chance to make amends, being hooked at half-time alongside the ineffective forward duo of Evan Ferguson and Danny Welbeck as Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi changed tact.
That trio of changes seemed to pay off at first after the interval as substitute Ansu Fati pulled one back for the visitors, but Watkins’ third extinguished any hopes of a comeback before Jacob Ramsey added salt to the wounds with Villa’s fifth goal of the afternoon. It was Watkins’ second-ever Premier League hat-trick, after he last bagged three in Villa’s 7-2 rout of Liverpool back in October 2020, and the England international also supplied the assist for substitute Ramsey’s peach of a goal – all while national team manager Gareth Southgate watched on from the stands at Villa Park.
Watkins could, and perhaps should, have come away with a fourth in injury time, but Douglas Luiz was there to finish off the left-overs and add a sixth and final goal for Villa, who grabbed their fifth win in seven games to climb into third spot in the league.
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