Danny Ings on the mark for Villa in Dubai clash
Danny Ings scored his third goal against Brighton in the space of a month as Villa drew 2-2 with their Premier League rivals in Dubai.
Ings opened the scoring in the friendly encounter midway through the second half and though Deniz Undav struck twice for the Seagulls in quick succession, a late Lewis Dunk own goal ensured Villa took a share of the spoils.
Boss Unai Emery used 18 players as Villa, who are in the Middle East on a training camp, continued preparations for the resumption of the Premier League season later this month.
Ings, who netted a brace in a 2-1 win over the Seagulls in the final match before the season paused for the World Cup, was named on the bench at the Jebi Ali Centre of Excellence, with Emery pairing Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins together in attack.
Villa twice forced Jason Steele into action inside the opening 15 minutes, with the Brighton goalkeeper saving from Emi Buendia’s header before Douglas Luiz saw his 20-yard free-kick parried to safety.
Luiz whistled a strike off target from distance as Villa continued to pose the greater attacking threat, before Robin Olsen saved well from substitute Cameron Peupion as the Seagulls went close in first-half stoppage time.
Bailey almost made the breakthrough minutes after the restart, finding space down the right and cutting inside before curling a left-footed strike narrowly off target.
Ings was one of four substitutes introduced just past the hour mark and made an almost instant impact, pouncing on a defensive error to slot into an empty net.
Brighton were quickly level as Undav slotted past Olsen and then ahead as the German capitalised on sloppy defending to net his second.
But Villa levelled with five minutes to go, Dunk putting through his own net under pressure from Ings.
