Brighton look to halt a slip in form as Graham Potter’s Seagulls host Aston Villa at AMEX Stadium.
Victory would see Brighton stay ninth in the table, whereas Villa can go as high as 11th depending on how Crystal Palace fares elsewhere.
Team News
Lewis Dunk is available for Brighton after missing last weekend’s loss against Burnley through suspension.
Adam Webster (groin), Enock Mwepu and Jeremy Sarmiento (both hamstring) remain ruled out.
Aston Villa could welcome Bertrand Traore back from a hamstring injury which has sidelined him in recent weeks.
Ezri Konsa (suspension) is also set to be back in contention but Marvelous Nakamba (knee) remains absent.
Stat Attack
- Brighton have won one of their five previous Premier League meetings against Aston Villa (W1, D2, L2)
- Aston Villa have drawn both of their two previous Premier League visits to Brighton (D2), drawing 1-1 in January 2020 then 0-0 in February 2021.
- Villa have collected five yellow cards in two previous Premier League away games against Brighton.
- Four of Brighton’s last five yellow cards at home have been shown to defenders (Dan Burn x 2, Adam Webster and Shane Duffy x 1).
- Villa are looking to avoid a third consecutive league defeat for the first time since a five-match losing streak between October-November 2021.
Prediction
After an uncharacteristic performance in their defeat against Burnley last weekend which even saw arguments over communication issues, Brighton need an improved display here because their defending was just lacklustre whilst attack looked knackered at times.
Villa meanwhile were wasteful of chances against Watford but defended well despite a lapse in marking proving costly, yet had Emiliano Martinez to thank for avoiding a more disastrous defeat but more clinical finishing is required here.
This game therefore feels tricky to predict because both teams need a reaction to poor defeats last weekend, yet Dunk’s return could be what Brighton need in terms of defensive organisation but I can see a draw here.
Prediction: Brighton 1-1 Aston Villa
Result: Brighton 0-2 Aston Villa
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