Aston Villa vs. Brighton: Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips

Brighton are coming into this game woefully out of form having failed to win any of their last five. Villa's home form is still strong, with Unai Emery's men having won three and drawn two of their last five games on home soil. Villa have also won four of their last five head-to-head meetings with the Seagulls.

Brighton have been a very reliable BTTS pick of late having seen both teams score in four of their last five games, while Villa have seen BTTS occur in three of their last five. Aston Villa 2-1 Brighton.

Aston Villa take on Brighton in the Premier League this weekend with both sides in fairly urgent need of a win.

• Date: 30/12/2024
• Kick-off time: 19:45
• Location: Villa Park, Birmingham

Aston Villa are currently 9th in the Premier League with 28 points from 18 games. It's been a solid campaign for Aston Villa so far, but it could be argued that they are currently behind where they should be at this stage. Villa finished 4th last season and are performing admirably in the Champions League this season, but their league form has no doubt declined in comparison to last season, despite notable investment into the squad. With Nottingham Forest currently occupying a spot in the top four, Villa will feel like they're missing an opportunity to cement themselves back amongst the elite in English football, and while there's still a way to go this season, it's hard to deny that cracks have appeared in the team that were not apparent last season.

Villa are struggling to build up from the back in the same way they were last season, and it feels as though opposition managers have a much better grip on what the team wants to do and how to stop it. On top of that, it often proves challenging for inexperienced sides to juggle Champions League and Premier League football, and it seems like Villa are learning that first-hand this season.

Unai Emery's men are still an impressive unit that can compete with the league's best sides on their day, but the consistency is not there this season, and it remains to be seen whether or not they can rediscover it.

Brighton & Hove Albion currently sit 10th in the Premier League with 26 points from 18 games. The Seagulls have had a solid first few months of the season, but their trajectory is a concerning one, with Fabian Hürzeler's team amidst a steady decline in performance levels.

Brighton started the season like a house on fire but are now winless in their last six matches, and that six-game run has consisted of extremely winnable fixtures, so after a strong start to the campaign, there is a fear that Brighton are starting to tail off. It must be noted that the Seagulls are an extremely young side so inconsistencies are expected, but the number of poor results in recent weeks will no doubt have started to set off alarm bells.

Nobody associated with the club will be panicking, but Brighton had lofty goals coming into this season after spending a big chunk of cash in the summer, and if things carry on the way they have been doing, they may be forced to rethink their near-term ambitions. A win here, though, would do them a world of good, and while it won't come easily, they're not facing a side in imperious form themselves.

This game will not be televised live in the UK, but full radio coverage will be provided by BBC Radio West Midlands.

Aston Villa Team News:

Jhon Durán will be unavailable for the hosts through suspension after Villa's appeal against his red card at Newcastle was rejected.

Matty Cash is also out suspended for Unai Emery's side, while Jacob Ramsey remains on the sidelines with injury.

Predicted lineup: Martínez; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne; Tielemans, Onana; Bailey, Rogers, McGinn; Watkins.

Brighton Team News:

The Seagulls have a fairly significant injury list, as they come into this game without Danny Welbeck, Ferdi Kadıoğlu, Jack Hinshelwood, Adam Webster and James Milner.

Giorginio Rutter will be pushing for a recall to the starting lineup here, while Simon Adingra and Yankuba Minteh will fancy their chances of starting this one too.

Predicted lineup: Verbruggen; Veltman, Van Hecke, Dunk, Estupiñán; O'Riley, Baleba; Minteh, Rutter, Adingra; Pedro.

Aston Villa:

Villa come into this game having won three and lost two of their last five games. Their most recent outing saw them fall to a 3-0 defeat away at Newcastle, where after falling 1-0 down to an early Anthony Gordon goal, Villa were reduced to ten men after Jhon Durán was shown a red card for an ostensibly sinister clash with Fabian Schär.

Before that, Villa beat Manchester City 2-1 thanks to goals from Durán and Morgan Rogers, which followed a 2-1 loss away at Nottingham Forest as the home side mounted an impressive late comeback.

Those results followed a 3-2 win away at RB Leipzig, with the goals coming from John McGinn, Durán and Ross Barkley, which came after a 1-0 win over Southampton thanks to a goal from Durán.

Brighton:

Brighton's form, though, is a concern, with the Seagulls winless in their last five games. Their most recent game was a 0-0 draw at home to a Brentford side with a poor away record, which was preceded by a 1-1 draw with West Ham United, with Matts Wieffer scoring the goal, and a 1-3 loss at home to Crystal Palace.

Those results were preceded by a 2-2 draw away at Leicester City - after the home side came back late on after Tariq Lamptey and Yankuba Minteh had given them a two-goal lead - and a 3-1 loss away at Fulham.

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