Aston Villa face Brighton in our final Premier League game of the season, knowing that a win will secure a place in the Europa Conference League next year.
It’s been a superb turnaround under Unai Emery that has led to us being in this position, and with the Villa boss and players alike all labelling this game as a ‘final’, there is one more important step to achieving what seemed such an unlikely objective just months ago.
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Villa sit a point above Tottenham and two ahead of Brentford, and so while a win may not prove to be necessary, if we simply take care of business ourselves, results elsewhere won’t matter.
In turn, the full focus will be on overcoming a Brighton side who have been brilliant this season, but having secured a Europa League place in midweek, there is less on the line for the visitors. That said, it’s unlikely Roberto De Zerbi will allow for standards to slip, and so we’ll have to produce our best to get the desired outcome.
Buendia to start? Moreno, Carlos both injury doubts
Emiliano Martinez will undoubtedly continue between the posts, with Matty Cash expected to keep his place at right-back having returned to the Villa XI last weekend after injury.
Having re-established a solid partnership at the heart of the Villa defence again this season, Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa will form the centre-half partnership, while with Alex Moreno picking up an injury against Liverpool last time out and subsequently a doubt to be involved, Lucas Digne is likely to get the nod at left-back.
Alternatively, Emery does have the option of switching Ashley Young over to that side given his versatility, and so time will tell which option he believes gives us the best balance in both phases to overcome Brighton.
With the Villa midfield emerging as a real strength of ours this season, it’s expected to be unchanged this weekend with John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara, Douglas Luiz and Jacob Ramsey starting, but there could be a change from Emery in the final third.
While the Spanish tactician has shown a great deal of faith and perseverance in Leon Bailey, this could be a game for Emiliano Buendia to come back into the side as we try to unlock the Brighton defence, and so the Argentine playmaker may start and support Ollie Watkins up top.
Emery revealed after the draw at Anfield last weekend that Diego Carlos had picked up a small injury in training, and so it remains to be seen if the Brazilian defender makes the bench on Sunday, with the likes of Jhon Duran, Bertrand Traore and Bailey likely to be itching to get involved at some stage.
It could be a tense and anxious evening at Villa Park on Sunday, but Emery will no doubt have a game-plan in mind to secure all three points, and given the improvement and progress that the players have shown under his stewardship thus far, it’s hoped that they deliver a big performance and finish the campaign on a real positive note.
