Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion will be eager to bounce back to winning ways in their clash at Villa Park on Saturday.
The 2023/24 Premier League season will resume this weekend with Gameweek 7 as the table starts to take shape. The latest round of fixtures will get underway at Villa Park, where Aston Villa will host Brighton & Hove Albion in a crucial match for both teams.
Aston Villa began the 2023/24 season with a morale-sapping 5-1 defeat to Newcastle United. But they have bounced back well since then, winning four of their five Premier League games to rise to sixth on the table. But Unai Emery and his charges will come into Saturday’s game on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Everton in the EFL Cup.
On the other hand, Brighton & Hove Albion continue to improve under the tutelage of Roberto De Zerbi. The Seagulls have lost thrice this season, including their last two midweek games (in the UEFA Europa League and EFL Cup, respectively). But they are third in the Premier League standings after winning five of their six outings thus far.
The corresponding fixture last season saw Aston Villa eke out a narrow 2-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion. The Hard Tackle runs the rule over the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Aston Villa
Next up: Brighton. 👊 pic.twitter.com/PYmI2yFSBf
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) September 28, 2023
Unai Emery has several pressing concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, the Aston Villa manager might be bereft of the services of five first-team players.
Emiliano Buendia (knee) and Leon Bailey (hamstring) are the most notable absentees, with the duo still out for the foreseeable future. The latter will not play again this season due to a long-term issue. Meanwhile, Tyrone Mings (knee) and Timothy Iroegbunam (knock) are also unavailable.
Jacob Ramsey is closing in on returning to action, although he will likely face a late fitness test to determine his availability. Meanwhile, Emiliano Martinez is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Aston Villa lining up in a 4-4-2 formation in front of him.
The system will promote offensive freedom for the full-backs, with Matty Cash and Lucas Digne wreaking havoc in the final third. Meanwhile, Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres should be the two centre-backs on Saturday.
As for the midfield unit, Boubacar Kamara and Douglas Luiz should hold the fort in the middle of the park. The duo will look to keep things tight and contain the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielders.
Nicolo Zaniolo and John McGinn will be the two “wide midfielders”, although they will primarily take up central areas. The duo will support Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby in the final third, with the pair looking to wreak havoc in and around the Brighton box.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Zaniolo, Kamara, Luiz, McGinn; Diaby, Watkins
Brighton & Hove Albion
Unlike his counterpart in the Aston Villa dugout, Roberto De Zerbi has greeted a positive update on the team news front ahead of the trip to Villa Park. The Brighton & Hove Albion manager will be without three first-team players on Saturday.
The good news is that James Milner should be available after regaining match fitness. But Pascal Gross (muscle injury), Jakub Moder (knee), and Julio Enciso (knee) remain on the sidelines due to their respective issues.
Jason Steele should start ahead of Bart Verbruggen between the sticks, with Brighton lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him. The defensive unit should not provide any surprises, with Tariq Lamptey featuring on the right flank. He will join Adam Webster, Lewis Dunk, and Pervis Estupinan in the backline.
As for the midfield department, Gross’s absence means Mahmoud Dahoud should line up alongside Billy Gilmour in the final third. The duo will keep things tight in the middle to allow the attackers to express themselves. Finally, Joao Pedro should spearhead the attack, with Ansu Fati, Solly March, and Kaoru Mitoma joining him in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Steele; Lamptey, Dunk, Webster, Estupinan; Gilmour, Dahoud; March, Fati, Mitoma; Pedro
Key Stats
- Aston Villa have earned four successive Premier League wins in this fixture, scoring twice in each match. Brighton & Hove Albion’s only competitive away victory in 15 attempts against Villa was by 2-1 in the Premier League in November 2020 (D3 L11).
- Aston Villa are on a run of nine consecutive home league wins for the first time since September 1989 to February 1990. Their most recent longer winning streak at Villa Park spanned 13 matches 40 years ago.
- Brighton & Hove Albion have scored in 22 consecutive Premier League fixtures, finding the back of the net 51 times.
- Only Manchester City (71) have more points than Aston Villa (55) in 2023. Arsenal and Liverpool have also accrued 55 points, while Brighton & Hove Albion have 53.
- Aston Villa have kept 11 clean sheets in the Premier League since Unai Emery’s first game in charge last November. Only Manchester United, with 14, have more in that period.
Player to Watch
Ollie Watkins
With both teams having many game-changers, several options emerged as candidates for this section. But we have gone ahead with Ollie Watkins, who has been searching for productivity at the level of last season.
The Englishman has managed to find the back of the net only once in six Premier League games thus far. While his productive output has improved, Watkins has not consistently scored goals. But as he gets close to signing a new contract, he will be brimming with confidence this week.
Prediction
Aston Villa 2-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion have been two of the most eye-catching teams in the Premier League in 2023. They have also started the 2023/24 season well, providing their fans cause for optimism. So, they will fancy their chances of claiming a win at Villa Park.
Aston Villa’s home record is strong, but Brighton & Hove Albion travel well and tend to stamp their authority. So, the match is setting up to be an evenly-contested affair. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 draw between Aston Villa and Brighton on Saturday.
