Jack Grealish scored against Albion again – and it cost them two points at home to Aston Villa.

The Villa skipper struck in style to cancel out a super opener by Leandro Trossard in a 1-1 draw at the Amex.

It was generally an untidy, tense affair and home striker Neal Maupay and Villa defender Ezri Konsa, who were team-mates at Brentford last season, had to be separated as tempers flared at the end.

Albion’s performance dipped alarmingly in the second half after they had deserved their interval lead and Villa’s fans were clearly the happier at the end.

The hosts had plenty of early possession, with Bernardo striding forward down the left.

But a Maupay shot over the bar was their only hint of a threat for debut-making goalkeeper Pepe Reina.

Another Bernardo charge led to a low cross which Mooy might have opted to turn home first time. Instead, he took the ball down and played it inside, where no one could finish.

Villa’s first threat was a shot dragged across goal by Grealish on a counter attack.

But Albion’s response was their 38th-minute opener.

Maupay nicked the ball away from the lumbering Kortney Hause and made ground before spreading play to his left, from where Trossard angled a low shot expertly across Reina.

That proved the difference until the 75th minute, when an improved display by Villa in the second half was rewarded.

Not for the first time, Albion lost the ball cheaply – Mooy on this occasion.

Douglas Luiz, wide on the right, angled a pass across and Grealish did the rest with an emphatic left-foot finish which flashed between Ryan and his near post.

It was the fourth consecutive match in which Grealish had scored against the Seagulls.

Albion went closest to a winner when Reina dived to his right to push away a Maupay volley near his right-hand post late on.

Albion: Ryan; Alzate, Webster, Dunk, Bernardo ; Mooy (Gross 81), Stephens, Propper, Trossard (Murray 81); Connolly (Montoya 68), Maupay. Subs not used: Button, Duffy, Bissouma, Jahanbakhsh.

Goal: Trossard 38.

Yellow card: Dunk foul, Webster (90+1) foul.

Aston Villa: Reina; Konsa, Hause, Mings; Guilbert, Drinkwater (Douglas Luiz 68), Nakamba (Hourihane 86), Targett; El Ghazi, Grealish, Trezeguet (Vassilev 67). Subs not used: Nyland, Elmohamady, Chester, Lansbury.

Goal: Grealish 75.

Yellow card: Drinkwater (14) foul, Nakamba (81) foul, Hourihane (90+4) foul.

Attendance: 30,551.