Aston Villa earned a scrappy late victory over Brighton, spoiling James Milner’s milestone night. The 40-year-old midfielder came off the bench early at Villa Park to make his 653rd Premier League appearance, matching Gareth Barry’s record.
However, an 86th-minute own goal by Brighton’s Jack Hinshelwood gave Villa the win, a result they barely deserved. Villa struggled for most of the match but remain third, extending their lead over Manchester United and Chelsea in the race for Champions League spots.
Brighton dominated much of the second half and looked set to leave with a point. Milner had replaced Carlos Baleba after 22 minutes and tested Villa keeper Emi Martinez after the break. Martinez had also denied Ferdi Kadioglu, tipping his shot onto the bar.
Tyrone Mings’ effort deflected off Hinshelwood in the 86th minute, handing Villa all three points. Brighton, who have won only once in their last 13 league games, dropped from fifth to 14th but deserved at least a draw after a strong performance.
