It is a battle between two of the surprise teams in the Premier League this season as Aston Villa host Brighton & Hove Albion in their final fixture. The Villans have impressed at home lately and should have the edge over Brighton.
It has been an impressive turnaround for Aston Villa under manager Unai Emery as they went from relegation trouble to European contention in the space of just months. They currently occupy the Europa Conference League position and need a win on Sunday to fend off Tottenham Hotspur, who are just a point behind in eighth.
Aston Villa have looked slightly erratic in recent weeks with just two wins in their last six Premier League matches, while also playing out a 1-1 draw at Liverpool last time out. The results could be attributed to a leaky defence that has kept just one clean sheet in that run.
The good news for Aston Villa is that their final fixture is at Villa Park which has been a fortress in recent weeks. They have won their last six matches in front of their fans, beating the likes of Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham in that run.
Brighton travel to Villa Park off the back of a 1-1 draw with Manchester City in a rescheduled Premier League fixture on Wednesday. They fought back from a goal down with Julio Enciso’s effort just before the break ensuring a share of the spoils.
The Seagulls have undoubtedly been one of the biggest surprises this season and their fine campaign has culminated in Europa League qualification. They head into Sunday’s clash with four wins from their last seven matches, a run that includes a 6-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
A slight downer for Brighton ahead of the season finale is that they have looked a bit erratic on their recent travels. Roberto De Zerbi’s men have suffered three defeats in their last five away matches and were beaten 4-1 by Newcastle United in their previous fixture on the road.
How the bookies view it
Aston Villa have the upper hand among the bookies with a home win priced at 11/10 by Unibet. A victory for Brighton is valued at 12/5 by bet365 while a draw is set at odds of 3/1 by Paddy Power.
Head to head
Aston Villa have an 11-2 advantage with seven draws from 20 previous matches against Brighton. The Villans have won the last three Premier League meetings and picked up a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture back in November.
Players to watch
With 14 goals this season, Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins has enjoyed his most prolific Premier League campaign and will be looking to end things on a high. The striker has also scored in two of the last three meetings with Brighton and is priced at 13/10 by William Hill to find the net on Sunday.
Evan Ferguson was a second half substitute for Brighton on Wednesday and could feature from the start at Villa Park. The young forward has enjoyed an impressive breakout campaign and having netted a brace in his previous start could be worth keeping an eye on to score anytime at 43/20 with Unibet.
Anything else catch the eye?
Brighton have seen over 3.5 goals in two of their last three Premier League matches and a repeat could be on the cards at 7/5 by Paddy Power. There were first half goals for both teams in the reverse fixture and Sunday’s clash can be tipped to follow a similar pattern at 5/2 with BoyleSports.
Aston Villa have scored in both halves in two of their last three home matches and a similar outcome is priced at 13/8 with bet365.
This English Premier League match between Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion will be played on May 28, 2023 and kick off at 16:30. Check below for our tipsters best Aston Villa vs Brighton & Hove Albion prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
