Hurzeler rues fine margins after Villa comeback against Brighton

Fabian Hurzeler believes that the small margins during their 4-3 defeat to Aston Villa decided the outcome of the contest after they let a two-goal lead slip on Wednesday.

Hurzler watched on as his team made a lightning start at the Amex Stadium with Jan Paul van Hecke and a Pau Torres own-goal seeing the Seagulls soar after 29 minutes.

But Villa got themselves on level terms heading into the break as Ollie Watkins ended his seven-game goal drought with two goals at the end of the first half.

Amadou Onana and substitute Donyell Malen put Villa in control, and though Van Hecke’s second seven minutes of time threatened a rip-roaring finish, Brighton were unable to find a leveller in front of their home supporters.

Indeed, it was the first time that Brighton had scored three goals in a home league game but still lost since a 4-3 home defeat to Rochdale in the fourth tier in December 1999.

And Hurzeler bemoaned his side’s inability to defend set-pieces in the game, something he aims to work on ahead of welcoming West Ham United to the south coast on Saturday.

“There are small margins that make the difference. It’s about how you react and two set-pieces make the difference. These are the small margins,” Hurzeler told Sky Sports.

“Overall, we saw a team that never gave up and had the belief to win this game.

“We have defended it quite well in the season so far. It’s not easy to defend set-pieces. The blocking of the goalkeeper. We still don’t have a clear rule for that.

“It’s not easy to concede goals, and we want to react. We have to challenge the adversity we face in the game, and we have to be better.

“It was a matter of small margins. They scored in the second half after two set pieces and that’s the difference. We have to do better and keep improving.”

With the game evenly poised at 2-2, Hurzeler turned to his bench to introduce top scorer Danny Welbeck into the fold after starting Stefanos Tzimas up front.

Only Brentford’s Igor Thiago (11) and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (15) had scored more goals than Welbeck’s seven coming into the game, with many surprised not to see the 35-year-old leading the Seagulls’ line.

Hurzeler, however, revealed that the decision was down to managing Welbeck’s minutes, with the forward having started each of Brighton’s last seven Premier League games.

“He’s not able to play more minutes today. Of course, we want to bring a striker on. This team is much more mature now,” Hurzeler added.

“You want to defend set-pieces better, but we have to analyse the game. It was on the edge and Villa won it, we lost. We have to accept.”