Brighton 0 Aston Villa 0 - Report

The goalkeeper pulled off notable stops to deny Leandro Trossard, Dan Burn and Joel Veltman on route to his 12th clean sheet of the season.

A smart stop to keep out substitute Danny Welbeck’s close range effort sealed a draw for the visitors which was barely deserved.

Villa failed to create an opening of note in a performance which was surely their most insipid of the season.

Analysis

Villa entered the match knowing victory would take them within two points of fourth-placed Liverpool. By the end they were grateful to take a point after simply failing to get going at the Amex Stadium.

Brighton, unbeaten in five, were much the brighter team from the start and without Martinez’s heroics would have won comfortably.

Villa moved up a place to eighth in the Premier League table with the draw but the recent inconsistency in their performances will be an increasing concern for boss Dean Smith.

Brighton had much the better of a first-half in which Villa struggled to get going and were indebted to Martinez for keeping them level.

Alexis Mac Allister should have opened the scoring for the hosts 10 minutes in but headed over the bar from Joel Veltman’s inviting cross.

Martinez was first called into action when he saved a low drive from Veltman shortly afterward but the Villa keeper was then heavily involved just past the half-hour mark as Brighton turned the screw.

First he blocked at his near post when Neal Maupay opted to shoot from a tight angle, before then pushing a fierce Trossard shot over the bar.

His best save of the half followed as, flying to his right, he pushed Dan Burn’s header from a corner round the post.

Burn also saw a shot blocked by Tyrone Mings as Villa, at one stage, struggled to get out of their own third.

Their brightest moment came from a Douglas Luiz shot which was deflected wide of the post.

Even Jack Grealish looked off his game, the skipper booked for pulling back Veltman after taking an uncharacteristically poor first touch.

Ross Barkley managed Villa’s first effort on target early in the second half but his shot was straight at Robert Sanchez.

Martinez was then called into action again, this time denying Mac Allister with his legs after the Brighton man’s shot appeared to take a slight deflection.

After Trossard drilled just wide of the near post, Villa suffered a blow when Matty Cash was forced off with injury, replaced off the bench by Ahmed Elmohamady.

Still Brighton were dominant, Martinez pulling off another stunning stop to keep out Veltman’s drive which looked destined for the top corner.

Smith introduced new signing Morgan Sanson for the ineffective Barkley and the Frenchman almost made an immediate impact but was unable to direct a low Grealish cross on target.

Brighton substitute Welbeck did manage to direct a cross goalbound soon after but again Martinez proved equal to it, pushing the effort round the post.

Teams

Brighton (3-4-2-1): Sanchez, White, Dunk ©, Burn, Veltman, Gross, Bissouma, Alzate (Lallana 62), Trossard, Mac Allister, Maupay (Welbeck 80) Subs not used: Connolly, Moder, Tau, Propper, Zeqiri, Karbownik, Walton (gk).

Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez, Cash (Elmohamady 61), Konsa, Mings, Targett, McGinn, Luiz, Traore (Trezeguet 66), Barkley (Sanson 76), Grealish, Watkins Subs not used: Engels, Ramsey, Nakamba, El Ghazi, Davis, Heaton (gk).