Pedro’s late header settled the contest at Amex Stadium, the striker nodding in three minutes from time after Robin Olsen saved his initial penalty, but Villa was helped by third-placed Liverpool, which beat Tottenham Hotspur 4-2 to leave Ange Posecoglou's fifth-placed side seven points adrift of Villa in fourth.

While Spurs has a game in hand, Unai Emery’s side would have been grateful to see it lose after allowing Brighton to win and move up to 11th on the table.

The Seagulls carried the greater threat during a first half of few opportunities, with Simon Adingra stinging Olsen’s palms from distance.

Villa, which lost Morgan Rogers to injury midway through the half, also had Olsen to thank twice in first-half stoppage time. First, he kept out Adingra’s tame volley from a Pedro cross before also thwarting Pascal Gross from close range.

The hosts continued to look the more likely to break the deadlock after the interval. Olsen denied Pedro, while Julio Enciso fired narrowly over from distance.

Brighton thought it had taken the lead inside the final quarter when Gross turned in Igor’s cross from inside the six-yard box, but the goal was disallowed after a VAR review adjudged Gross to be offside.

The visitors also had the ball in the net at the other end, though the offside flag denied John McGinn, who tucked away after the ball ricocheted kindly for him in the six-yard box.

However, it was Brighton that got the breakthrough in the 87th minute. Olsen guessed correctly to keep out Pedro’s penalty after Ezri Konsa tripped Adingra, but the Sweden international was helpless as the striker headed home the rebound to give Brighton victory.

Brighton arrived in this contest off the back of successive defeats, and looking to avoid three on the spin for the first time since March 2022.

The Seagulls had also lost each of their previous five Premier League meetings with Villa, which could have secured its Champions League qualification with a win and a Spurs loss at Liverpool.

Villa registered just two shots on goal, its lowest tally in a Premier League match since May 2016 against Newcastle United (also two), while it only registered fewer on record against Manchester United in August 2005 (one).

It should still have enough to secure a top-four place, but Emery’s team will be looking to get over its hump sooner rather than later.