Can Brighton Beat Aston Villa to End Their Winless Streak?
Aston Villa will be hosting Brighton at Villa Park on February 11th at 2:30 pm EST. Aston Villa is considered Brighton’s bogey team, a team that habitually beats them, whether at home or away. Brighton will need to conquer their bogey team in order to inspire and reignite confidence in their manager, Fabian Hürzeler. Brighton is languishing in 14th place in the Premier League table after five straight winless matches, 0-3-2. Looking at the larger picture for Brighton, they only won one in their last 12 Premier League matches. On the other hand, Aston Villa is currently sitting in third place in the Premier League table. Despite only having one win in their last five matches, they are not hurting for points. This match is a must-win for Brighton; however, Aston Villa hopes to crush their hopes on their home pitch.
Brighton Breakdown
Brighton continues to suffer in the Premier League. Winless in their past five matches, the team is taking the hits hard. Losing their derby against Crystal Palace on Sunday, 1-0, did not help public opinion of their coach, Fabian Hürzeler. As the players were leaving the pitch at the Amex, the supporters were booing and singing, “You’re getting sacked in the morning.” In their last match against Crystal Palace, Brighton lacked consistency again throughout the first and second halves. The team performed stronger in the first half with five shots, two of those being on target. However, in the second half, they only registered one shot total.
Brighton’s defensive line could possibly be weakened for the Aston Villa match if Jan Paul van Hecke does not recover in time from his injury. If the centerback is not in the starting lineup for the Villa match, Brighton will lose the speed in their central defenders. Brighton’s Lewis Dunk and Olivier Boscagli, van Hecke’s substitute, do not bring the speed to the defensive line, which was why they conceded the goal in the Palace match. For the upcoming game, a key player to watch out for is Pascal Groß. He made his return to Brighton in the winter transfer window from Borussia Dortmund. He is a versatile midfielder who is their main set-piece and corner kick taker. His experience will help ground the team, and his crosses into the penalty box may create chances for a goal.
Aston Villa Breakdown
Aston Villa is currently in the top five of the Premier League table. In their last match, they drew against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. Aston Villa’s overall team structure and players are currently stronger than Brighton’s. Ollie Watkins leads the front offensive line as the central striker. Watkins posed a huge threat in the reverse fixture for these two teams at the Amex as he scored two goals in about 10 minutes. Another offensive player that could make Brighton nervous is Jadon Sancho. The English winger is able to move the ball down the sides of the pitch very quickly. Both key offensive players for Aston Villa will challenge Brighton’s defensive line.
Ezri Konsa will be a key player for Aston Villa’s defensive line. In the Bournemouth game, he had a brilliant goalline clearance that stopped the opposition from gaining a goal. However, it would have been chalked off because one of the Cherries was offside. Konsa’s determination, speed, and drive to defend will be a contributing factor if Aston Villa wants a clean sheet for the Brighton match.
What’s at Stake for Both Teams?
Brighton’s lack of wins will be a huge factor to consider in this match. Hürzeler’s side will consider this a must-win match, considering they only have one win out of 12 Premier League matches. Since this is an away match for them, they have to keep the morale up as their away form has not been stellar, and their latest home form is starting to take a beating. Meanwhile, Aston Villa will have the home advantage, and they will be hunting for a win in order to secure their top-five place in the Premier League table. Brighton is more offensively minded and prefers to play out from the back. Meanwhile, Aston Villa forms a 4-4-2 in defense and is focused on kicking the ball through the lines to find either Watkins or Morgan Rogers for a breakaway goal.
Match Prediction and Expectations
Aston Villa will bring the speed and energy to this match since they are both at home and trying to contend for the Premier League trophy. Watkins could lead the central striking role and be flanked by Rogers and Sancho for an explosive trio to shoot at Brighton’s goal. Villa’s tendency to go to a back four will make it difficult for Brighton’s strikers to get a clear shot on goal. Brighton’s defenders will have to make sure they are on alert the entire match, as Watkins and Rogers can bring the speed to run down in order to score a goal. Dunk and Boscagli need to be on their toes and either quicken their pace or make early tackles in order to stop the Villa players in their tracks. This match could be a blowout for Brighton, with Villa players scoring four or five goals. Brighton must stay consistent and keep energy levels up in both halves. Aston Villa must find long passes or passes through the lines to their strikers in order to get on the board.
