A TOP-FOUR Premier League finish is within touching distance for Aston Villa but there's a danger they could suffer a European hangover when they make a trip to Brighton and Hove Albion.
Unai Emery is having to balance a shot at Europa Conference League glory with trying to hold off Tottenham in the battle to secure a Champions League slot for next term.
With this game coming just days after a draining Euro semi-final with Olympiacos it's a potential banana skin but Brighton and Hove Albion need to rouse themselves from a worrying slump.
Roberto De Zerbi's side have gone six games without a win and crashed to a dismal 3-0 loss to Bournemouth in their last Premier League outing.
How the bookies view it: Seagulls' wings are clipped
With Brighton and Hove Albion in such dreadful form they are 2/1 outsiders at BetMGM. Aston Villa's best price is 7/5 at Matchbook while the draw pays 29/10 at William Hill.
Recent head to head: Villa bossing it
Aston Villa battered Brighton 6-1 in the Midlands earlier this season and that made it five wins in a row in this fixture. You have to go all the way back to 1980 to find the last Brighton home win over the Villans.
Players to watch: Julio with the flow
Julio Enciso impressed off the bench for Brighton last weekend and came close with a couple of long-range efforts. That could earn him a start here and he's 13/8 at Paddy Power for a goal or assist.
Emery could freshen things up a little after a draining game on Thursday. Back-up striker Jhon Duran might start and he's 6/5 with Paddy Power to either score or assist.
Probable line-ups
De Zerbi doesn't have a lot of options up front with Kaoru Mitoma and Evan Ferguson on the sidelines. Villa have seven stars out so Emery is limited in the number of changes he can make.
Brighton: Verbruggen; Veltman, Julio, Dunk, Barco; Gross, Gilmour; Adingra, Enciso, Buonanotte; Welbeck
Aston Villa: Olsen; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Luiz, Iroegbunam, Rogers, McGinn, Watkins, Duran.
Anything else catch the eye? Goals look on the cards
Brighton have been firing blanks of late but De Zerbi's front-foot style always leads to plenty of chances. Unibet price over 5/5 Seagulls shots on target at 11/10 and that looks decent value.
Combining BTTS and over 2.5 pays just 4/6 (Bet365) but backing over 1.5 first-half goals is better at 6/5 with the same firm. That bet came up in their last home game with Manchester City as Phil Foden delivered for our man Slips Tips. I also fancy Brighton for most corners and that is priced at 21/20 by BetVictor.
This English Premier League match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Aston Villa will be played on May 5, 2024 and kick off at 14:00. Check below for our tipsters best Brighton and Hove Albion vs Aston Villa prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
