Fabian Hurzeler made a bright start at the Amex Stadium but a run of no win in six has seen them slide down the table. Ollie Watkins will return in attack for Villa with Jhon Duran suspended following his harsh red card at Newcastle on Boxing Day.

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Follow live coverage as Aston Villa face Brighton & Hove Albion today in the Premier League. Another top-flight season will be covered in full right here with The Independent, as reigning champions Manchester City look to make it an unprecedented five titles in a row come the end of 2024/25.

Opponents Brighton are winless in six league matches, drawing four of them, since beating Bournemouth 2-1 on 23 November. Villa have won eight of their nine top-flight home matches against the Seagulls, including a 6-1 victory early last season when Ollie Watkins scored a hat-trick.

Brighton are without striker Evan Ferguson at Aston Villa in their final Premier League match of 2024. Ferguson has made just two Premier League starts this term, with Fabian Hurzeler selecting the likes of Danny Welbeck, Georginio Rutter and Joao Pedro ahead of the Ireland international.

Villa Park has become a challenging venue for visitors, with the hosts losing just once in their previous 14 home league fixtures – a defeat to Arsenal in August. Three consecutive home victories have kept Villa within striking distance of the Champions League spots, just one point behind fifth-placed Newcastle United.