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Aston Villa vs Brighton betting tips:
- Aston Villa to win - 31/20 at William Hill
- Both teams to score - 21/50 at BetUK
- Ollie Watkins over 0.5 offsides - 11/10 at BetVictor
Aston Villa and Brighton both have big ambitions for the 2023/24 season with the pair set to meet in the Premier League on Saturday.
Unai Emery’s Villa team have enjoyed a generally positive start to the season, winning four of their first six league fixtures, but they have struggled to maintain momentum, winning just two of their last five games in all competitions.
Brighton have gone one better by winning five of their first six league fixtures with the Seagulls just three points off Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.
Football betting sites are offering Villa and Brighton at similar prices, reflecting how difficult this one is to call.
Aston Villa to recycle West Ham’s game plan
Under Emery, Aston Villa have become one of the most dangerous counter-attacking outfits in the Premier League and that could be particularly useful against Brighton.
Brighton have suffered just one defeat in the Premier League this season and that came against West Ham who utilised a sharp counter-attacking style to put the Seagulls to the sword in a 3-1 home loss.
Villa will likely set up to stay deep and compact to absorb Brighton’s use of possession and then break into space at speed.
Emery’s team come into this fixture on the back of a disappointing home defeat to Everton in the Carabao Cup, but Villa were asked to break down a low defensive block against the Toffees and that exposed their weaknesses.
The task against Brighton will be somewhat different and that could bring the best out of Villa.
The latest Premier League odds indicate that these two sides are in with an outside shot at finishing in the top four, with Brighton given a 9/4 chance compared to 9/1 on Aston Villa.
Those odds will likely move in Villa’s favour if our first prediction comes in.
Tip: Aston Villa to win - 31/20 at William Hill
Both teams to trade blows in final third
The tactical dynamic of the fixture might favour Aston Villa and their counter-attacking style, but Brighton are still a good bet to find the back of the net at least once.
Roberto De Zerbi’s team had scored in every match they had played in all competitions this season until the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.
Evan Ferguson is fit again after missing the international break with the Republic of Ireland while Joao Pedro continues to contribute, scoring two in six league games this term.
Ansu Fati is still acclimatising to his new surroundings on the south coast, but the on-loan Barcelona attacker has the quality to make an impact on Saturday’s match.
As already mentioned, Aston Villa will likely sit deep and look to absorb Brighton’s pressure, but there’s a good chance the visitors to Villa Park will still find a way through at some point in the match.
Tip: Both teams to score - 21/50 at BetUK
Villa vs Brighton bets: Watkins to stray
Ollie Watkins got off the mark for the 2023/24 league season by scoring the winning goal for Aston Villa in their 1-0 away win over Chelsea last weekend.
While Aston Villa significantly strengthened their squad over the summer transfer window, Watkins remains Emery’s first-choice centre forward with everything geared towards the England international in the final third.
Against Brighton’s high defensive line, though, Watkins will have to watch the offside trap to get in behind and exploit the space in the opposition half.
Even if Watkins ends up adding to his tally for the season, the Seagulls are likely to catch the Aston Villa striker offside at least once.
Not all betting sites provide offside odds, but BetVictor and Parimatch cater for those who are interested in it and Watkins to be flagged offside is our final pick.
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Last Updated: 14th March 2024, 07:22 AM
