Aston Villa vs Brighton: Match preview, predicted line-ups, team news, and prediction

Villa Park braces for a mid-week relegation of pressure when Aston Villa welcome Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday, both outfits desperate to arrest sliding form that has dented early-season optimism.

Unai Emery’s side were left frustrated by a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth on Saturday, a result that leaves them nine points adrift of Premier League pacesetters Arsenal and with only eight points taken from the last 18 available. A barren spell in front of goal—three blanks in the past five league fixtures—has coincided with back-to-back home defeats after an eight-match unbeaten run on their own patch, raising the stakes for a fixture that could see Villa drop out of the top three before a ball is kicked.

Brighton arrive equally anxious. Saturday’s 1-0 home loss to Crystal Palace was an eighth league defeat of the campaign and means the Seagulls have tasted victory only once since the start of December. Away form offers little comfort: Roberto De Zerbi’s travellers have won just twice on the road all season and have prevailed in only two of their previous 13 Premier League meetings with Villa.

The treatment room is busy on both sides. Villa remain without their entire first-choice midfield quartet—Ross Barkley, John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans—while full-back Andres Garcia continues his rehabilitation. Brighton’s casualty list is longer: Diego Gomez, Solly March, Stefanos Tzimas, Mats Wielder and Adam Webster are all ruled out, and midfielder Yasin Ayari is doubtful.

Emery is expected to retain the 4-2-3-1 shape that has underpinned Villa’s rise, with Emiliano Martinez behind a back four of Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres and Ian Maatsen. Douglas Luiz and Amadou Onana will anchor midfield, allowing Jadon Sancho, Morgan Rogers and Emi Buendia to supply creativity for spearhead Tammy Abraham.

Brighton are tipped to line up in a 4-3-3. Bart Verbruggen starts in goal, shielded by Maxim De Cuyper, Lewis Dunk, Jan Paul van Hecke and Ferdi Kadioglu. The engine room comprises Pascal Groß, Carlos Baleba and evergreen James Milner, while the fluid front three of Kaoru Mitoma, Danny Welbeck and Yankuba Minteh will look to exploit space in behind Villa’s high line.

With both sides wounded and Villa’s top-four cushion at risk, a tight contest looms. Home advantage and the return of key attackers may just tilt the balance, but Brighton’s need is equally desperate. Expect a high-stakes chess match settled by a single moment of quality—or calamity.

Prediction: Aston Villa 2-1 Brighton