Brighton vs Aston Villa predictions: Villans can enjoy Amex trip
&w=707&quality=100)
- Brighton are just two points off Chelsea in fourth
- Aston Villa are also in the battle for a Champions League spot, two points behind the Seagulls
- Recommended bet: Aston Villa Draw No Bet
The Premier League is back after the international break and FA Cup action and two teams with plenty to play for lock horns at the Amex Stadium on Wednesday when Brighton host Aston Villa.
With the title winners and relegated clubs all but confirmed, it is the race for the European places which is providing the greatest entertainment at the moment and both of these teams are in contention for a top-four finish.
Victory in this game would give Villa a huge boost with a Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain on the horizon and they will be feeling confident after booking their spot in the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday.
Brighton are looking to bounce back after they were pushed to their limits in a penalty-shootout defeat to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup at the weekend.
Team news
Brighton have a lengthy list of injuries with Igor, Tariq Lamptey, James Milner, Ferdi Kadioglu, Solly March, Joel Veltman, Mats Wieffer and Georginio Rutter among those expected to miss this contest.
Ross Barkley is unavailable for Aston Villa, who otherwise have a clean bill of health.
The stats
&w=707&quality=100)
Aston Villa are on an excellent run, having lost just one of their last 10 matches in all competitions and winning each of their last five contests.
They have also reeled off three straight away wins, prevailing on the road against Club Brugge, Brentford and Preston.
Brighton, meanwhile, have won just one of their last four matches in normal time, having been held to draws by Newcastle, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest.
Prediction
Both of these sides were in the FA Cup quarter-finals at the weekend but it is fair to say Aston Villa had an easier time of it.
Emery's men swept aside Preston — the last remaining club from outside of the Premier League — 3-0 at Deepdale and the game looked done and dusted with about 20 minutes remaining.
As for Brighton, they played through 30 minutes of extra time before losing 5-4 on penalties to fellow Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest and they could be a touch more fatigued than Villa heading into Wednesday's league game.
That will be made worse by the fact Brighton's squad is stretched by absences at the moment and they are worth opposing.
Villa are hitting form at the right time in the season, having lost just one of their last 10 games.
They have won each of their last five assignments and the loan additions of Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford have undoubtedly made an impact.
They are worth selecting in the draw-no-bet market, where stakes are returned if the match finishes as a draw.
Win up to £250,000 with LiveScore 6!
Win up to £250,000 with our free-to-play game, LiveScore 6!
