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Aston Villa manager Unai Emery said it was up to Ollie Watkins to explain why he was missing for Sunday’s 4-0 Premier League hammering at Brighton.

Villa started without a recognised striker at the Amex Stadium amid reports that England international Watkins is trying to secure a move to Al Hilal.

Europa League winners Villa have turned down four offers from the Saudi Pro League club, and a transfer agreement is not close at present.

“That question is for him. I can’t answer. I can answer only with my silence,” Emery said when he was asked about Watkins’ omission.

When asked whether the 30-year-old had refused to play, Emery replied: “I think you can call him, you can call his agent, and he can respond. It’s not my responsibility.”

Ollie Watkins could leave Aston Villa.

Watkins has scored 108 goals in 278 appearances for Villa since arriving from Brentford in 2020, including nine goals in 11 matches against Brighton.

Without him, Villa were 4-0 behind inside 31 minutes after a Victor Lindelof own goal, a close-range finish from Maxim De Cuyper and a quick double from Jack Hinshelwood.

Midfielder Joao Gomes, a summer signing from Wolves, was sent off on his league debut five minutes before half-time for kicking out at Georginio Rutter, adding to the visitors’ problems on a humiliating afternoon.

Villa have gone through a summer exodus since winning the Europa League and qualifying for the Champions League with a fourth-place finish.

Key trio Ezri Konsa, Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers have all been sold, while there is continued speculation that goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and Watkins could also depart.

Unai Emery has lost a number of key names this summer.

Emery, who chose Emiliano Buendia, Ross Barkley and full debutant George Hemmings as his attacking options on the south coast, said: “We made some mistakes, they scored the goals and in 25 minutes we lost everything. Emotionally as well a little bit we lost.

“We lost a very important three points, but it’s something the last three years – at the beginning until the transfer window finishes – we had as well some problems, like we are having now.

“The players that are here today, they are keeping the mentality I want for the team – to be always not complaining and not blaming and trying to be passionate as well, even with a bad result like today.”

Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler said: “For the first five, six, seven minutes we struggled to control the game, Villa started strongly, they had the ball, they had two or three shots.

“But after that we got control back through good intensity without the ball, by winning some individual duels, by forcing them into mistakes and that is how the first goal happened.

“Then afterwards we were also better in possession, better in structure, better in positioning, and we scored some nice goals. Of course, the red card was another game changer.

“Then we played a mature second half because it’s not that easy when you are one man up to find a good balance between keeping the ball, attacking the box, but not giving away too many chances to Villa.”