[Albion] Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa *** Official Match Thread ***

[Palacefinder General]

0445 again DH! What time did you go to bed last night? 8pm!?

 

[WATFORD zero]

How embarrassing! Mods? Pretty please?

Don't worry, he only mentioned it the once and I think you got away with it (but just in case the mods do)

Albion v Aston Villa

PREMIER LEAGUE

Venue: The American Express Community Stadium
Date: Saturday 18th January 2020
Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
Referee: Andrew Madley
Assistants: Adrian Holmes, Simon Beck
Fourth official: Matthew Donohue
VAR: Stuart Attwell
Assistant VAR: Richard West

​

TEAM NEWS

Brighton's Aaron Mooy has recovered from the knee problem that caused him to miss last week's defeat at Everton.

Shane Duffy, Adam Webster and Alireza Jahanbakhsh have overcome minor issues.

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina is poised to make his first Premier League appearance since May 2013 after joining Aston Villa on loan.

Matt Targett and Bjorn Engels should be fit to return but Jonathan Kodjia is in talks about a move elsewhere and will not be involved.


MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

Steve Wilson: Villa's crushing defeat at the hands of Manchester City on Sunday might have set the alarm bells ringing, but a drubbing like that is always a possibility against City. It's the defeat to relegation rivals Watford which they cannot afford to repeat.

To be fair to Dean Smith's side, they have taken a very decent 14 points from the eight games they have played so far against the other clubs in the bottom seven - and I still think they will stay up.

I feel the same about Brighton - but this is the start of a run of four games for the Seagulls against teams currently below them, and they will need to make them count.


WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

Graham Potter rejects suggestions this is a 'six-pointer': "I think it is a dangerous way of looking at it. Because if we win, or Villa win, and it is the only win we get [for the rest of the season] then we are in trouble, that's the reality.

"It is about getting the points over the season. That doesn't change but as the season goes on the external pressure and the noise is heightened."

Aston Villa head coach Dean Smith: "We're now coming up against teams who are in and around us in the league. They're all massive games for us.

"We had a poor performance at Watford, we changed it around, got a really good performance at Burnley and Leicester in the cup and then a poor performance against the double league champions.

"It's important we put it behind us and stick it in a concrete box and bury it 6ft underground."

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• 
  [*=left]Brighton have gone nine league and cup games without beating Aston Villa since a 1-0 top-flight home win in December 1980 (D3, L6).
  [*=left]Villa have already beaten Brighton twice this season: 3-1 in the League Cup at the Amex Stadium and 2-1 at Villa Park in the Premier League.
  [*=left]This is their first top-flight meeting on the south coast since a goalless draw at the Goldstone Ground in March 1983.

Albion

• 
  [*=left]Albion's only victory in seven league matches came against Bournemouth last month (D3, L3).
  [*=left]Their tally of 24 points after 22 fixtures is two fewer than at this stage last season under Chris Hughton.
  [*=left]Brighton have never won a Premier League match in January, drawing four and losing six.
  [*=left]The Seagulls have lost five of their past seven Premier League fixtures against promoted opposition, winning once.
  [*=left]Their only defeat this season against teams currently below them in the table came at Villa in October (W3, D2).
  [*=left]Neal Maupay, Brighton's top scorer in the Premier League this season with seven goals, has gone five appearances in the division without scoring.

Aston Villa

• 
  [*=left]Dean Smith's side have lost six of their past eight league matches, conceding 21 goals.
  [*=left]However, they are vying to earn successive Premier League away wins for the first time since September 2014.
  [*=left]All but one of the 21 points earned by Villa have come against sides currently in the bottom half of the table.
  [*=left]Aston Villa have faced 18.5 shots per game on average in the Premier League this season, the most in a campaign since Reading's 18.6 in 2012-13.
  [*=left]They have gone 18 Premier League away fixtures without a clean sheet since a 0-0 draw at West Brom on 23 January 2016.
  [*=left]Jack Grealish has scored in three successive games against Brighton in all competitions.

 

[Taybha]

Can't make it but if the audience would be so kind and yell shoot to Alzate when he picks the ball up on the edge of the area rather than trying to dribble it into the net I'd be most obliged as he's my pick for first goalscorer. TVM

 

[Albion my Albion]

How does someone know if this is truly the OFFICIAL match day thread?

 

[Dick Head]

Don't worry, he only mentioned it the once and I think you got away with it (but just in case the mods do)

Thank you from the heart of my bottom.

 

[Surrey Phil]

Think we need everyone up for this today including the fans and need to go right for the jugular from the off. Bring it on!

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Are we expecting Dunk in the team today or the head not right status?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ernest]

Villa will sneak a lucky 1-0 win with Grealish scoring after we have battered their goal for 90 minutes and they have one attack and score, then we have to put up with 3k ugly Brummies afterwards with their horrible whining accents celebrate

 

[Frutos]

 

[WATFORD zero]

 

[neilbard]

soccerstreams100(dot)tv
soccerstreams(dot)net

Now don't go making the thread look untidy asking for streams all over the shop.

 

[Muzzman]

Need to get some songs going in the concourses beforehand, the atmosphere at the Amex is always better with a little warm-up and we rarely do. It's an ideal place to try new songs, get the words right and we tend to sing the same song at the same time too when this happens.

 

[nickbrighton]

Can't make it but if the audience would be so kind and yell shoot to Alzate when he picks the ball up on the edge of the area rather than trying to dribble it into the net I'd be most obliged as he's my pick for first goalscorer. TVM

He seems to do this everytime he gets in the box, just wants another touch to get in a slightly better position. If only he would just boot the ball goalwards sometimes . It's a trait more than one of our players has though. I think it was Jack (or Bobby) Charlton who one said he used to shoot everytime he got sight of goal, as if you sent enough balls towards goal and on target , enough would go in to make it worth while

 

[Bakero]

He seems to do this everytime he gets in the box, just wants another touch to get in a slightly better position. If only he would just boot the ball goalwards sometimes . It's a trait more than one of our players has though. I think it was Jack (or Bobby) Charlton who one said he used to shoot everytime he got sight of goal, as if you sent enough balls towards goal and on target , enough would go in to make it worth while

Frank Lampard did very well employing that strategy.

 

[Official Old Man]

I've nothing to say so skip this post.
But superstition states I have to post something.

 

[Brok]

I've nothing to say so skip this post.
But superstition states I have to post something.

Superstition dictates I post nothing.




Oh, bugger. Now I've blown it...

 

[Dick Head]

I've nothing to say so skip this post.
But superstition states I have to post something.

Superstition dictates I post nothing.




Oh, bugger. Now I've blown it...

It's unlucky to be superstitious. Fact.

 

[Seagull kimchi]

Someone will score their first goal for the Albion today - mark my words.

 

[Vankleek Hill Seagull]

 

[Frutos]

View attachment 119230

Happy with that - we need to get at Villa from the off, and that lineup looks capable of it.