English Premier
2026-08-23 - Brighton vs Aston Villa
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Sunday 23rd August 2026 - Kick Off 2pm
This game is live on TV
Brighton
Drawing out in Norway may feel like a disappointing result considering the chances that Brighton were able to create, but it is a result that makes them strong favourites to progress into the Conference League Group Stage. They will need to win the Second Leg at home, but Fabian Hurzeler has to believe Brighton are good enough to do that after watching the First Leg.
One eye had been kept on the opening weekend of the Premier League season as Brighton look to build on the 8th place finish from the last campaign. They only just missed out on a second campaign in the Europa League, but Brighton fans will be expecting a very long Conference League campaign and the squad has enough depth to cope with European and domestic commitments.
Brighton have won 1 of the last 5 games in all competitions and they will begin the new Premier League season knowing they were beaten in 3 of the last 4 top flight games played. That run included losing 0-3 to Manchester United on the final day of the season at the Amex Stadium, although Brighton had won 3 in a row here before that defeat.
Both Carlos Baleba and Yankuba Minteh have been targeted by Manchester United and Liverpool respectively, but both are injured and not available this weekend regardless. Matt O'Riley and Kaoru Mitoma are doubts.
Aston Villa
Over the last few years, Unai Emery has really worked his magic at Villa Park and helping the club win a first major trophy in thirty years has underlined the progress that has been made. However, it has been a really difficult summer for Aston Villa, despite returning to the Champions League, and the squad is going through a real transition.
Experienced players like Emi Martinez and Ollie Watkins have been linked with moves away and Aston Villa have already lost three of the eleven starters that won the Europa League with Ezri Konsa set to be number four. Some decent business has been done to lower the average age of the squad, but Unai Emery is going to be under some pressure to replicate the kind of levels that Aston Villa fans have been used to operating at.
Aston Villa gave plenty in the Super Cup defeat to Paris Saint-Germain and the performance will encourage the fans that all is not lost even after the departure of so many key players. They had not won any of 4 away games played in all competitions, but Aston Villa snapped that run on the final day of the 2025/26 season when winning 1-2 at Manchester City.
Johan Manzambi is one of the big money signings that Aston Villa have made, but he is dealing with an injury picked up at the World Cup and is expected to miss out. Joao Gomes is another signing, but picked up an injury that may keep him out until next month, while youngster Brian Madjo played really well in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, but is another who picked up an injury.
Head to Head
Aston Villa picked up maximum points when facing Brighton in the Premier League last season.
Brighton led 2-0 at the Amex Stadium, but were beaten 3-4 and Aston Villa have won 4 of the last 5 Premier League games here.
Prediction
Both of these clubs will be playing in Europe this season, but Brighton have already gotten that campaign underway in Norway and this is going to be a test for the squad having to travel back and prepare for this opening Premier League campaign.
A semi-rotated eleven played that game in Tromso and Brighton did more than enough to win the First Leg, but Fabian Hurzeler will know his team need to show more composure in the final third.
They made a couple of mistakes that should have been punished at the back as well, but Brighton overall played well enough and key players should be restored to the starting eleven.
Last season they blew a 2-0 lead in an eventual 3-4 home defeat to Aston Villa and this has been a visitor who have enjoyed Brighton's hospitality.
However, Unai Emery will be taking a Aston Villa squad that has lost a number of important players in this summer transfer window. Some of the signings have looked decent, but Emery will not be able to call on the likes of Joao Gomes and Johan Manzambi and that is a blow.
Aston Villa look a little short of numbers so the next two weeks feels important, but that does not help on Sunday.
Last season they began the Premier League slowly and that may be the case on Sunday, which will give Brighton a chance to earn a rare success at the Amex Stadium when Aston Villa come to town.
The Statistics :
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Pick :
Brighton 2-1 Aston Villa
