The battle for European qualification will continue on Wednesday night as Brighton & Hove Albion welcome Aston Villa to the American Express Stadium for a Premier League clash.
The hosts are reeling from a penalty shootout defeat in the FA Cup quarter-finals over the weekend, while the visitors will be buoyed by securing their place at Wembley for the semi-finals.
Match preview
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Brighton's pursuit of their first-ever major trophy was heartbreakingly extended over the weekend as Nottingham Forest booked their place at Wembley with a 4-3 penalty victory, following 120 minutes which saw neither side able to break the deadlock.
Although that result will undoubtedly dampen the Seagulls' spirits, Fabian Hurzeler and his men will have to put that defeat behind them and shift their focus back to their Premier League campaign.
The 2022-23 season saw Brighton secure a sixth-placed finish in the Premier League, historically marking their highest-ever top-flight finish and earning them a spot in the Europa League - marking their first-ever participation in European competition.
Just two years later, the Seagulls are already aiming to surpass those achievements, with Hurzeler's side currently embroiled in the intense race for a Champions League spot in the Premier League.
Brighton are seventh in the league standings with 47 points from 29 fixtures - after 12 wins, 11 draws and six defeats - leaving them only two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, though they are just three points above 10th-placed Bournemouth.
The Seagulls must now bounce back from their FA Cup elimination if they are to have any chance of securing a wonderful top-four finish, and a victory against fellow challengers Aston Villa would make for the ideal start to their final run-in.
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Unlike their hosts, Aston Villa were able to book a date at Wembley as they marched past Preston North End with a 3-0 victory in their FA Cup quarter-final clash - courtesy of Marcus Rashford's brace and a goal from Jacob Ramsey.
That win was yet another milestone in Villa's remarkable journey under Unai Emery, as the Spaniard now aims to secure a major trophy, having already cemented the club among the Premier League's best while also working on establishing the Villans among Europe's elite.
Aston Villa are slightly disappointingly sat ninth in the table - with 45 points from 12 wins, nine draws and eight defeats - but they only trail the top four by four points, while they also have a Champions League quarter-final clash with Paris Saint-Germain to look forward to.
January additions have meant Aston Villa have the depth to compete on multiple fronts, as shown by their run of just three defeats in 18 matches since the turn of the year, but that streak must continue for Emery to record another successful campaign.
Three points on Wednesday could lift the Villans to sixth in the table, potentially joint on 48 points with fifth-placed Manchester City, but their underwhelming away record - taking only 17 points from 14 away fixtures - could prove a problem.
Despite that, Emery and his team will look to take confidence from past results against the Seagulls, as Aston Villa have lost only one of their past eight meetings with Brighton - recording five wins in that time.
Team News
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Brighton have struggled with multiple injury setbacks throughout this season, and as many as 10 first-team players are expected to miss out on Wednesday's clash.
Ferdi Kadioglu, Igor Julio, James Milner, Jason Steele, Joel Veltman, Matt O'Riley, Solly March, Tariq Lamptey, Mats Wieffer and Adam Webster are all expected to miss out, while Georginio Rutter is a doubt after sustaining an injury in the defeat to Nottingham Forest.
As a result, Joao Pedro could start behind Danny Welbeck, with Yankuba Minteh and Kaoru Mitoma starting from wide positions, while Lewis Dunk should partner Jan Paul van Hecke in central defence.
As for Aston Villa, Ross Barkley is anticipated to be their only absentee due to injury, as the midfielder remains sidelined due to a calf issue.
Rashford led the line in their victory over Preston North End, but the forward is expected to shift back to the left wing to accommodate Ollie Watkins's return to the starting team.
In defence, Lucas Digne, Tyrone Mings, Ezri Konsa and Matty Cash could all keep their places, while Amadou Onana may displace either Youri Tielemans or Boubacar Kamara in midfield.
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Verbruggen; Hinshelwood, Van Hecke, Dunk, Estupinan; Baleba, Gomez; Minteh, Pedro, Mitoma; Welbeck
Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Onana, Tielemans; Rogers, Asensio, Rashford; Watkins
We say: Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Aston Villa
As both teams are battling for crucial points in the battle for a Champions League finish, this match is likely to be an extremely hard-fought affair.
Although Aston Villa have a strong record against Brighton, the hosts have been solid at home while the visitors have often struggled on the road, leading us to expect a draw.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
