Aston Villa will look to get back-to-back wins in the Premier League under Unai Emery when they travel to the Amex Stadium to face Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
Unai Emery kicked off his second Premier League stint last weekend with a big 3-1 win over Manchester United at Villa Park. However, the Spaniard’s team ended up on the losing side of the EFL Cup third-round tie at Old Trafford as Erik ten Hag’s Man United defeated them 4-2.
Emery will expect an improved display from his boys at Brighton, who are on a three-game winning run in all competitions.
Aston Villa Team News
Jan Bednarek and Leander Dendoncker will be back at Emery’s disposal after being cup-tied for the 4-2 defeat to Man United.
On Aston Villa’s injury front, only Philippe Coutinho (thigh) and Diego Carlos (calf) take up spots on the treatment table. This means Emery will have the same squad available for selection as that from last weekend.
Predicted Aston Villa Lineup vs Brighton (4-2-2-2)
Goalkeeper
Emiliano Martinez should don the gloves after being rested in midweek, with Robin Olsen guarding the goal against Man United at Old Trafford.
Defence
Ezri Konsa should feature alongside Tyrone Mings in central defence in the Aston Villa lineup, hoping to keep the in-form Leandro Trossard quiet.
Matty Cash and Lucas Digne came on as second-half substitutes in the midweek cup tie against Man United but both are primed to start at right-back and left-back, respectively in the Aston Villa lineup.
The Villa backline must keep things tight and stay focused throughout the 90 minutes to keep an exciting Brighton attack at bay.
Midfield
Leander Dendoncker will come back into the Villa side and partner Douglas Luiz in the middle of the park. They will be tasked to protect the backline and recycle possession.
Ahead of Dendoncker and Luiz, Jacob Ramsey and Emi Buendia will operate as advanced midfielders in the Aston Villa lineup. Ramsey and Buendia can cause all kinds of problems for the Brighton backline with their vision, guile and directness.
The quartet of Dendoncker, Luiz, Buendia and Ramsey must work well in tandem to dominate the Seagulls in the centre of the park.
Morgan Sanson, John McGinn and Boubacar Kamara will be available for selection on the bench as they wait for their chance to make an impact in the second 45 minutes if needed.
Attack
Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey will start in a two-pronged Villa attack, tasked with stretching the Brighton defence with their pace and directness. Having linked up very well and caused problems for the Man United defence last weekend, Watkins and Bailey will be hoping to click together again on Sunday.
If the Villans chase a goal or need fresh legs in attack, Emery could bring on Danny Ings off the bench in the second half.
