Brighton vs Aston Villa Predictions

• Villa have won three of their last six games.
• Brighton are winless in six (D2, L4).
• Villa won the reverse fixture 6-1.

Champions League awaits for Villa

Villa are on course to claim a top four finish and they should be able to move a step closer to confirming their place in next season’s Champions League by seeing off out-of-sorts Brighton.

Albion have little left to play for and they look like a team that are simply waiting for the season to be over now. Brighton are winless in six, losing four of those games, and the goals have dried up as well as they have scored just once across their last five games.

Villa can respond after Europa blow

Villa’s Europa Conference League hopes were left in tatters on Thursday as they went down 4-2 at home to Olympiacos. Unai Emery’s men need a big turnaround in the second leg in Greece – but a top four finish is the clear priority and they can make sure they bounce back against Brighton.

Albion haven’t won a game since their own Europa League exit and they have managed just one victory in their last nine in the league. Fatigue is a slight concern for the visitors, but Villa managed to win both of their Premier League games after their previous ECL tie against Lille – despite being dragged into extra time and penalties in the second leg of that double-header – and they should be able to respond to their midweek loss by seeing off Brighton.

Goals an issue for Albion

Villa won the reverse fixture 6-1 and they should be able to win fairly comfortably on the south coast, although the scoreline is unlikely to be quite so emphatic.

Brighton have scored just one goal across their last five games so the visitors may be able to record a clean sheet, and a 2-0 win for Villa appeals as they have scored at least twice in each of their last four league games.

Ollie Watkins was on target against Olympiacos as he ended a three-game run without a goal and Villa’s main marksman can add to his account here. Watkins has 19 goals in 34 games and is still in the running for the Golden Boot award, so back him to get on the scoresheet at Brighton.

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