Brighton & Hove Albion will look to continue on their winning momentum as they lock horns with Aston Villa at the Villa Park tomorrow. The Seagulls secured a famous 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur before the international break and will be full of confidence going into this fixture.
A win for the visitors could potentially help them move onto the top half of the table. However, Villa, too, will push for all three points, having picked up just eight points in eight matches. Hence, this promises to be an evenly contested affair as both teams look to get out of the relegation scrap in these early parts of the campaign.
Here is how Graham Potter’s men may lineup against the newly-promoted Premier League outfit on Saturday.
Formation: 4-4-2
Defence
Brighton manager Potter is unlikely to make any key changes to the defence that managed to retain a clean sheet against Spurs in the last match. Martin Montoya will continue to start over Ezequiel Schelotto at right-back while Dan Burn will occupy the opposite flank. The centre-back will continue to get the nod ahead of Gaetan Bong due to the defensive solidity he offers on the left flank.
Shane Duffy is back in contention after suffering from injuries during the first half of the campaign. However, he will likely have to settle for a place on the bench due to the excellent form of new signing Adam Webster. Lewis Dunk will partner the ex-Bristol City star at the heart of Brighton’s four-man backline.
Mathew Ryan, meanwhile, will retain his place in goal. The Aussie will be looking for his fourth clean sheet of the campaign.
Midfield
Potter has hinted that Davy Propper has recovered from his injury during the press conference. Steven Alzate, too, is fit again and will retain his place in central midfield, ahead of Propper. Dale Stephens will partner the young Colombian in the double-pivot.
Elsewhere, Pascal Gross and Aaron Mooy will be tasked with the responsibility of providing the creative essence in the final third from a wide midfield slot. However, the duo will also look to operate in a relatively central area of the pitch to help make the 4-4-2 much more compact.
Attack
Potter is likely to persist with the offensive combination of Aaron Connolly and Neal Maupay, especially after the former netted two goals against Spurs in the last match. It will be interesting to see how the youngster fares against a solid Villa side this weekend.
