Aston Villa vs Brighton & Hove Albion

Aston Villa’s quest for European football is on the line as they welcome Premier League surprise package Brighton & Hove Albion to Villa Park on the final weekend.
Despite dropping points in three of their last four Premier League matches (W1, D1, L2), Aston Villa could secure a first European finish after 13 years with a win over Brighton. One point clear of seventh-placed Tottenham Hotspur, the ‘Lions’ return to Villa Park, where they’ve won their last six Premier League games, looking to make it seven in a row for the first time since 1993. Unai Emery’s men netted 12 goals across those six triumphs and conceded just one in return, highlighting their confidence about beating Brighton in the top flight for the fourth time on the trot. Indeed, they have only lost one of their seven H2Hs in the Premier League (W4, D2), going down 2-1 on home turf three years ago.
As for Brighton, a 3-1 romping of dead-last Southampton last weekend saw the ‘Seagulls’ make history, reaching European qualification for the first time. An enthralling 1-1 home stalemate against Manchester City in midweek Premier League action confirmed their place in next season’s Europa League, ending a run of ten top-flight games without a draw (W6, L4). However, Roberto De Zerbi’s men have alternated between winning (3) and losing (3) on their last six Premier League travels, suggesting this contest could go either way. With five of those fixtures featuring over 2.5 total goals, the Villa Park crowd should be in for a treat, no matter the outcome.