Aston Villa - Brighton and Hove Albion predictions and free betting tips [30/09/2023]

On Saturday, 30th September, as part of Matchday 7 in the Premier League, Aston Villa will host Brighton on their home turf. The Lions triumphed over Everton on the previous Wednesday with a 2:1 score in the 1/16 finals of the League Cup, while the Seagulls, on the same day, succumbed to a narrow defeat against Chelsea on the road - 1:0.

Predicted Lineups

Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Targett; Zaniolo, Kamara, Luiz, McGinn; Diaby, Watkins.
Brighton: SSteele; Lamptey, Webster, Dunk, Estupinan; Gilmour, Dahoud; March, Fati, Mitoma; Pedro.

Stadium

The match will take place in Birmingham at Villa Park.

Aston Villa

Aston Villa has had a successful start in the new campaign, currently sitting in 6th place in the Premier League and battling for a European zone. Under Unai Emery's guidance, the Birmingham side has claimed 4 victories and suffered 2 defeats. Up until now, the Villans have only lost to Newcastle and Liverpool. Having suffered heavy defeat at Anfield, they bounced back with victories over Crystal Palace (3:1) and Chelsea (0:1) last weekend. The Claret and Blues, however, faltered in their Conference League debut, losing to Legia Warsaw with a 3:2 scoreline. In midweek, Emery's charges stumbled at home against Everton in the League Cup (1:2). Boubacar Kamara's goal, scored seven minutes from time, was to no avail as precision strikes from James Garner and Dominic Calvert-Lewin in both halves secured victory for the Toffees.

Villa has won all nine of their previous home matches in the league, marking their best home winning streak since October 1983. The host team's key defenders Mings and Diego Carlos, attacking midfielder Buendia and young midfielder Iroegbunam (who was on loan at QPR last year) are all absent. The return of backup winger Bertrand Traore, who missed the last fixture, is also uncertain. Striker Watkins finally notched his first goal of the new season, a match-winner against Chelsea, firmly securing his place in the starting lineup. Wingers Diaby (2 goals and 2 assists) and Zaniolo are likely to take their places on the flanks.

Brighton

Brighton, having surprised everyone last season, has continued to impress in the new campaign. The Seagulls currently sit 3rd in the Premier League standings thanks to their spectacular display under Roberto De Zerbi. Having won in the first two matchdays, the blue and whites subsequently lost their home fixture to West Ham (1:3). The team then hit a three-match winning streak against Newcastle (3:1), Manchester United (1:3) and Bournemouth last weekend (3:1). However, Brighton stumbled in their Europa League debut, losing to AEK Athens (2:3) on their home turf. This week, the team were knocked out of the League Cup, losing 1:0 to Chelsea. Despite having over 60% possession at Stamford Bridge, the Seagulls lacked sharpness in the final third, managing just two on-target attempts from 13 shots at goal, and ultimately, the match outcome was decided by Nicolas Jackson's goal on the 50th minute.

Brighton still misses playmaker Enis Bardhi and long-absent Polish midfielder Moder due to injuries. Additionally, experienced players Pascal Gross and James Milner are also out of action. Japanese winger Mitoma (5 goals), who came in as a substitute last weekend, bagged a brace upon his introduction. Irish wonderkid Ferguson (18 years old, 4 goals) is available for selection but De Zerbi might prefer the experienced Welbeck (1 goal). Adam Webster missed the midweek fixture but is expected to return on Saturday to replace captain Lewis Dunk at centre-back. Tariq Lamptey will vye with Joel Veltman for the right-back spot.

Head-to-Head Record

Last season, Villa clinched a 2:1 victory on home turf, while in Brighton the teams settled for a draw – 1:1. The Seagulls have been unable to overcome the Claret and Blues for six consecutive matches.

Match Prediction: Aston Villa vs Brighton

One of the highest-scoring teams in the Premier League will test Aston Villa's tactical setup, a team boasting impressive home records. Both sides favour attacking football and both have crucial European fixtures scheduled for next Thursday. I'm going to bet on a draw.

Total Prediction

Brighton, currently the highest-scoring team in the Premier League with 18 goals in 6 games, will meet the hosts who, on average, score 2 goals per match. My prediction – both teams to score.

Corner Prediction

Both sides, prone to attacking, should give us an open match, and hence, an over 8.5 total corners prediction seems suitable.

Yellow Cards Prediction

Given the non-aggressive playing style of both teams, it's unlikely they'll amass more than 4 yellow cards together.

Score Prediction

I will bet on a precise score of 2:2.