Brighton & Hove Albion take on Aston Villa on Sunday, with both sides looking to aspire for European ambitions this season following their respective successes last time out.
The Seagulls achieved UEFA Europa Conference League qualification last season, and this summer they have lost key players such as Jan Paul van Hecke and Danny Welbeck to Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, respectively. The home side have recruited efficiently by securing the services of highly rated centre-back Luka Vuskovic from Spurs and Pascal Struijk from Leeds United. Brighton & Hove Albion could be set for more departures, with Carlos Baleba linked with Manchester United.
Last season, Brighton's home record was solid, as the Seagulls only lost four times on home soil, with nine wins and six draws to their name. The pre-season preparation has been relatively good, with the Seagulls winning two of their recognised pre-season friendlies with victories against Italian sides Bologna and AS Roma.
As for Aston Villa, the away side for this fixture were extremely unlucky in their efforts against PSG, losing out 2-1 to the Champions League winners in the UEFA Super Cup. This season is all about building on the success of the Europa League triumph for Aston Villa, and despite losing the likes of Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers and Lucas Digne to Manchester United, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain. With the departures of Rogers and Tielemans in particular, the Villains have moved to sign the likes of Johan Manzambi, Joao Gomes and Alejandro Garnacho.
In this fixture, the Villains have won the last three meetings, so the advantage befalls the away side and they are also unbeaten in four against the Seagulls. Goals are to be expected with seven of the last nine meetings landing the market.
Brighton 1-2 Aston Villa
