Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa - prediction, team news, lineups

Reigning Europa League champions Aston Villa question to the Amex Stadium to look Brighton & Hove Albion successful their opening crippled of the 2026-27 Premier League play connected Sunday afternoon.

The 2 teams played retired a seven-goal thriller successful this nonstop fixture past season, with Ollie Watkins scoring doubly to assistance Villa assertion a 4-3 distant victory.

Match preview

Brighton are gearing up for their 10th consecutive play arsenic a Premier League nine and person recorded back-to-back eighth-placed finishes nether caput manager Fabian Hurzeler, with past season’s efforts rewarded with a Conference League playoff spot.

The Seagulls participate this weekend’s home opener with minimal remainder aft travelling 350 kilometres northbound of the Arctic Circle to play retired a goalless stalemate with Norwegian outfit Tromso successful a first-leg necktie connected Thursday – a crippled successful which they registered lone six of their 25 shots connected target.

Prior to that match, Brighton had plentifulness to grin astir during pre-season arsenic they won each 4 of their affable fixtures against Wycombe, Strasbourg, Roma and Bologna, scoring 12 goals successful the process.

Brighton did suffer their last 2 Premier League games of past season, though (1-0 to Leeds and 3-0 to Man United), and they person not mislaid 3 successful a enactment successful the part since March 2022 nether ex-manager Graham Potter (a tally of six that included a location decision to Aston Villa).

Since losing 3-1 to Chelsea connected the opening play of the 2020-21 season, Brighton are unbeaten successful each of their past 5 matchday 1 Premier League fixtures (W4 D1), their longest specified tally since going 10 consecutive seasons unbeaten betwixt 1969-70 and 1978-79.

However, Brighton’s caller grounds against Villa leaves a batch to beryllium desired, arsenic they person mislaid 64% of their top-flight meetings with the Lions (nine retired of 14 - W2 D3), portion they person besides dropped much points from winning positions against the Midlands nine than they person versus immoderate different PL squad (13).

Aston Villa person established themselves arsenic a certified subordinate of English football's elite successful caller seasons, with Unai Emery successfully steering the nine backmost to Europe's apical array aft clinching Champions League qualification past word courtesy of a 2nd fourth-placed decorativeness successful 3 years.

After breezing past Freiburg by a 3-0 scoreline successful the Europa League last successful May, Villa experienced mixed fortunes successful pre-season, winning 3 and losing 4 of their 7 affable fixtures, portion they besides suffered a constrictive 2-1 decision to Paris Saint-Germain successful the UEFA Super Cup conscionable implicit a week ago.

Emery has besides had to contend with the nonaccomplishment of immoderate cardinal first-team players this summer, including Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Ezri Konsa and Lucas Digne, but Villa person utilized the funds generated to motion 7 caller players, with much arrivals expected earlier the September 1 deadline.

The Midlands nine caput into Sunday’s contention keen to amended their matchday 1 grounds successful the Premier League, arsenic they person won conscionable doubly successful 7 attempts connected the opening play since returning to the apical tier successful 2019-20 (D1 L4).

However, Villa tin instrumentality assurance from the information that they person won 8 of their past 10 Premier League meetings with Brighton (D1 L1), portion they person not mislaid immoderate of their 4 top-flight matches against Hurzeler’s broadside (W3 D1), scoring 10 goals successful the process.

Brighton & Hove Albion pre-season form:

Brighton & Hove Albion signifier (all competitions):

Aston Villa pre-season form:

Aston Villa signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Brighton volition beryllium without Yankuba Minteh (leg), Kaoru Mitoma (hamstring), Stefanos Tzimas (knee) and Evan Ferguson (ankle) owed to injury, portion Carlos Baleba (also sidelined with an ankle issue) is connected the verge of joining Manchester United for a interest successful excess of £65m.

Club-record signing Luka Vuskovic played the afloat 90 minutes against Tromso connected Thursday on with Pascal Gross, Yasin Ayari, Matz Wieffer and Olivier Boscagli. All 5 players should beryllium progressive again connected Sunday, but their minutes could beryllium managed this clip around.

Should Gross determination into a deeper midfield position, that would let Jack Hinshelwood to instrumentality successful the fig 10 relation wherever helium scored 3 goals successful Brighton’s last 5 league games of past season.

Canadian striker Promise David joined the nine earlier this week and is disposable to marque his debut, though Georginio Rutter is acceptable to pb the line.

As for Aston Villa, caller signings Johan Manzambi (knee) and Joao Gomes (calf) person joined Brian Madjo (unspecified), Leon Bailey (muscle) and semipermanent absentee Amadou Onana (knee) successful the attraction room.

Alejandro Garnacho (concussion) and Tammy Abraham (knock) volition beryllium assessed, portion Ollie Watkins’s availability is up successful the aerial amid involvement from Al-Hilal, with Emery incapable to warrant the striker volition stay during Friday’s property conference.

Goalkeeper Zion Suzuki and antiaircraft duo Matteo Ruggeri and Aaron Wan-Bissaka were each confirmed arsenic caller arrivals earlier this week and could marque their debuts connected Sunday, the erstwhile is the astir apt to commencement betwixt the sticks up of Emiliano Martinez.

Konsa’s £51m exit to Arsenal was finalised connected Friday, truthful Pau Torres and Victor Lindelof could beryllium the centre-back pairing chosen to start, portion Matty Cash and Ian Maatsen are the astir apt duo to statesman arsenic full-backs.

Brighton & Hove Albion imaginable starting lineup:

Verbruggen; Weiffer, Dunk, Vuskovic, Kadioglu; Ayari, Gross; Gomez, Hinshelwood, De Cuyper; Rutter

Aston Villa imaginable starting lineup:

Suzuki; Cash, Lindelof, Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, Hemmings; McGinn, Barkley, Buendia; Watkins

We say: Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Aston Villa

Aston Villa’s beardown head-to-head grounds against Brighton should supply them with plentifulness of assurance heading to the South Coast, but Emery indispensable navigate this fixture aft seeing the spine of his Europa League-winning broadside ripped isolated during the summertime transportation window.

The visitors should inactive tract a competitory lineup against a fatigued Seagulls squad recovering from a long-distance Conference League qualifier successful Norway. With that successful mind, some broadside whitethorn person to settee for a stock of the spoils.

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