Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Jamie Braidwood

Worst start in Premier League history? Aston Villa collapse against Brighton after summer of upheaval

Joao Gomes gave away a goal and was sent off on his first Premier League start for Aston Villa - (Getty)

A summer of change off the pitch for Aston Villa was followed by one of the worst opening 45 minutes of a season in Premier League history as Unai Emery’s side collapsed at Brighton and went into half-time 4-0 down

Last season’s Europa League winners went into the new campaign having lost four of the players that started their 3-0 win over Freiburg in May. Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne and Ezri Konsa’s exits could also soon be followed by two more first-team stars in Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez, who were both left out of Villa’s matchday squad at Brighton.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.