Aston Villa hosts Brighton & Hove Albion in a matchup that should be very even-handed. After all, it is ninth versus 10th, so it should be pretty much even strength. Some might call this “mid-table mediocrity,” but we prefer to think of it as a toss up between two sides eager to move on up on the table.
Both Villa and Brighton have qualified for Europe in recent years, so the potential is there.
Aston Villa vs Brighton & Hove Albion
Kickoff: 7:45pm, Mon. Dec. 30, Villa Park, Birmingham, UK
Aston Villa Preview Content: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Result Probability: Brighton & Hove Albion 18% Aston Villa 60% Draw 22%
PL Standing, Form: Brighton & Hove Albion 10th, 26 pts LDLDD Aston Villa 9th, 28 pts, WWLWL
And with that in mind, let’s take a look at what first team Unai Emery might select here for this “anybody’s match” affair at Villa Park.
Aston Villa Starting XI Prediction vs Brighton & Hove Albion
Emi Martinez; Ezri Konsa, Diego Carlos, Pau Torres, Lucas Digne; John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara, Amadou Onana, Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers; Ollie Watkins
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.