Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa preview

England flag 2026/2027 Premier League, England
The American Express Community Stadium
Premier League
Brighton & Hove AlbionBHA
4 0
Aston VillaAVL
Full Time
Round 1 Regular Season
Victor Lindelöf - 8' (Own Goal)
Jack Hinshelwood - 30', 31'
Goal
|
|
Red Card João Gomes 40'

CONTEXT

Brighton & Hove Albion secured a 4-0 victory over Aston Villa with the halftime score also standing at 4-0. Brighton controlled 73 percent of possession against Aston Villa's 27 percent. Expected goals registered 3.23 for the home side and 0.35 for the visitors. Aston Villa was shown one red card during the contest while Brighton received none. Pre-match assessments identified Aston Villa as the stronger team yet the result favored Brighton. The final outcome proved consistent with the xG differential of 2.88. A significant structural deviation occurred as Brighton delivered the win. The efficiency patterns remained in line with overall expectations throughout the fixture.

TL;DR

  • Structural deviation: Final score: Brighton & Hove Albion 4-0 Aston Villa. Brighton & Hove Albion showed a significant deviation from the pre-match structural baseline.
  • Efficiency shift: The efficiency shift remained in line with expected patterns.
  • xG alignment: The outcome aligned with xG values of 3.23 to 0.35.
  • Market alignment: The result proved aligned with market expectations.
  • xG expectations: xG expectations favored a dominant home performance.
  • Event impact: The away red card altered second half dynamics.
  • Red card distortion: Red card distortion affected Aston Villa after halftime.
No standings statistics available.
No head-to-head records found.
0.5+ goals: 85%
1.5+ goals: 70%
2.5+ goals: 50%
3.5+ goals: 25%
Confidence: High (≥8 matches)

Quality vs Volume

Home: xG 1.8, Shots 12, xG/Shot 0.15
Away: xG 1.5, Shots 14, xG/Shot 0.11

Open Play vs Set Play

Open Play: 65%
Set Play: 35%

Expected Points

TeamxPts
Home1.8
Away1.2
ℹ️ Methodology: Expected Goals (xG) measures shot quality
P. Bankes
P. Bankes
Referee • 25 matches
Fouls / Match
Referee 30.32
League Avg 0
Yellow Cards / Match
Referee 4
League Avg 0
Red Cards / Match
Referee 0.36
League Avg 0
Penalties / Match
Referee 0.36
League Avg 0
I. Hussin
I. Hussin
1st Assistant • 0 matches
Fouls / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Yellow Cards / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Red Cards / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Penalties / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
W. Smith
W. Smith
2nd Assistant • 0 matches
Fouls / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Yellow Cards / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Red Cards / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Penalties / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
M. Salisbury
M. Salisbury
4th Official • 0 matches
Fouls / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Yellow Cards / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Red Cards / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Penalties / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Brighton & Hove Albion F. Hürzeler
F. Hürzeler
VS
Aston Villa U. Emery Etxegoien
U. Emery Etxegoien
1.73
Avg Points / Game (Last 100 Matches)
1.27
1.17 i
Last 6 Opponents
Manchester United Rank: 91 L
Leeds United Rank: 88 L
Wolverhampton Wanderers Rank: 79 W
Newcastle United Rank: 89 L
Chelsea Rank: 88 W
Tottenham Hotspur Rank: 85 D
Avg Points / Game (Last 6 Matches)
1.67 i
Last 6 Opponents
Manchester City Rank: 97 W
Liverpool Rank: 91 W
Burnley Rank: 76 D
Tottenham Hotspur Rank: 85 L
Fulham Rank: 87 L
Sunderland Rank: 83 W
0
Head to Head (Wins - Draws - Losses)
0 - 1 - 3
3

Team Power Ranking

i
What is Power Ranking?
Power ranking is SportMonks' model-based team strength indicator. Historical input capped to 2 seasons.
90.33
91.02
0 (Weakest) 100 (Strongest)
Metric
Brighton & Hove Albion
Aston Villa
Power Score
90.33
91.02
League Position
1
20
Global Rank
12
8

Form Analysis Opponent-Weighted

Line chart of recent results (points/trend). Friendlies excluded by default. Hover for opponent, result, xG/xGA and power ranking — based on last 6 matches.

–
vs
Brighton & Hove Albion — Opponent-weighted form score
Aston Villa — Opponent-weighted form score
Win (3 pts) Draw (1 pt) Loss (0 pts) Brighton & Hove Albion Aston Villa

Heatmaps Ball coordinates

Attack and defence zones from ball position data. Filters: last 6 matches (overall/home/away), time period, competition.

–
vs

Brighton & Hove Albion

Left / Center / Right —
Opposition half density —
vs season average —

Aston Villa

Left / Center / Right —
Opposition half density —
vs season average —

Possession Efficiency Possession-Adjusted

How effectively each team uses and defends their share of possession. Efficiency adjusted based on team possession percentage

Brighton & Hove Albion ⚠ Proxy
vs
⚠ Proxy Aston Villa
Attacking Efficiency
Higher is better
Attacking Efficiency
33.70
26.48
Defensive Efficiency
Lower is better
Defensive Efficiency
26.48
33.70
Combined Efficiency Index Z-score combining attacking and defensive possession-adjusted efficiency.
Positive = above league average.
Negative = below league average.
Formula: EfficiencyIndex = z(AttackEff) − z(DefenceEff)
-3 0 3
Brighton & Hove Albion +0.54 Efficiency Index
vs
Aston Villa -0.54 Efficiency Index
xG data unavailable for both teams. Values estimated using shots and dangerous attacks (proxy). Confidence: Medium.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Aston Villa
AttackEff = xG ÷ pos
DefenceEff = xGA ÷ (1−pos)

Set Pieces Efficiency Attack & Defence

Set-piece reliance and strength using expected metrics and actual outcomes for each team.

Brighton & Hove Albion
vs
Aston Villa
Created Set-piece attacking threat
Brighton & Hove Albion Aston Villa
Set-piece xG Share Share of total expected goals generated from set pieces. Higher = more set-piece reliant in attack.
11%
37%
Goals per Match Average set-piece goals scored per match.
0.00 0.00
vs Expected (xG) Goals scored minus set-piece xG. Positive = overperforming; Negative = underperforming expectations.
-0.35 vs -0.13
Conceded Set-piece defensive exposure
Brighton & Hove Albion Aston Villa
Set-piece xGA Share Share of total expected goals conceded from set pieces. Higher = more exposed to set pieces defensively.
37%
11%
Conceded per Match Average set-piece goals conceded per match.
0.00 0.00
vs Expected (xGA) Goals conceded minus set-piece xGA. Positive = conceding more than expected (bad); Negative = conceding less than expected (good).
-0.13 vs -0.35
Brighton & Hove Albion
Aston Villa
xG Share = set-piece xG ÷ total xG
vs Expected = goals − set-piece xG

Counter / Transition Attack & Defence

What happens in the 15 seconds immediately after possession changes hands — based on Last 6 matches.

–
Brighton & Hove Albion
vs
Aston Villa
Attack After Winning Possession transition → offence
Brighton & Hove Albion Aston Villa
Goals per Match Average goals scored within 15s of winning the ball per match. ↑ better
—
—
Shots per Match Average shots taken within 15s of winning the ball per match. ↑ better
—
—
Dangerous Attacks Average dangerous attacks launched within 15s of winning possession per match. ↑ better
—
—
Transition Efficiency Index Composite score (0–1) of how efficiently this team attacks within 15s of winning the ball. Higher = more dangerous on transition. Higher = stronger on the counter
Brighton & Hove Albion 0.29
Aston Villa 0.26
Defence After Losing Possession loss → defensive exposure
Brighton & Hove Albion Aston Villa
Goals Conceded Average goals conceded within 15s of losing the ball per match. ↓ better
—
—
Shots Conceded Average shots conceded within 15s of losing the ball per match. ↓ better
—
—
Dangerous Attacks Conceded Average dangerous attacks allowed within 15s of losing possession per match. ↓ better
—
—
Vulnerability Index Composite score (0–1) of how exposed this team is within 15s of losing the ball. Lower = better at preventing transition attacks. Lower = better transition defence
Brighton & Hove Albion 0.00
Aston Villa 0.06
Brighton & Hove Albion
Aston Villa
Window = 15s post-possession change
Index = 0–1 composite score

PRESSURE INDEX

Momentum phases from smoothed minute-by-minute pressure.

  • BHA had peak pressure around 46'.
  • AVL started the game with stronger pressure.
BHA Pressure AVL Pressure
⚡
Pressure Index: BHA reached the top pressure at 46' (84.52).

Team Head to Head Last 6 Seasons

Summary of 4 matches between these sides — filtered by competition and venue context.

Brighton & Hove Albion BHA Home
4 matches
Aston Villa AVL Away
Match Record
0
Wins
3
1
Draws
1
3
Losses
0
Goals
5
Goals Scored
10
10
Goals Conceded
5
-5
Goal Difference
+5
Expected Goals
0
xG
0
0
xGA
0

Data last updated: 2026-08-24T00:06:00+00:00

STARTING XI

Match Formation 4-2-3-1
Match Formation 4-2-3-1
Pitch

General Information

Date & Time
Competition
2026/2027 Premier League, England · Round 1 · Regular Season
Stadium
The American Express Community Stadium
Capacity
31876
Pitch Surface
Grass
Weather
☀️ 12°C, Fair
Referees
Peter Bankes
Ian Hussin
Wade Smith
Michael Salisbury

Statistics

Possession
BHA
68%
AVL
32%

Top Statistics

4 Goals 0
6 Big Chances Created 0
12 Shots 6
72 Dangerous attacks 23
73 Possession 27
5 Corners 2
11 Free kicks 18
2 Yellow Cards 3
0 Red Cards 1

Match Overview

59 Ball Safe 72
9 Goal Kicks 12
6 Goal Attempts 0
5 Substitutions 5
9 Throwins 18
2 Hit Woodwork 0
17 Successful Headers 7
2 Assists 0
0 Injuries 1
8 Dribble Attempts 14
4 Successful Dribbles 7
50 Successful Dribbles Percentage 50

Attacking

135 Attacks 53
3 Big Chances Missed 0

Possession

53 Long Passes 37
642 Passes 240
598 Successful Passes 182
93 Successful Passes Percentage 76
15 Key Passes 5
44 Successful Long Passes 13
83 Successful Long Passes Percentage 35

Defensive

0 Saves 3
21 Tackles 20
10 Interceptions 8
50 Duels Won 46

Build-up

23 Total Crosses 4
5 Accurate Crosses 1

Discipline

6 Offsides 2
12 Fouls 9

Lineup

Referee : Peter Bankes

Starting XI ▼

1
Bart Verbruggen
Bart Verbruggen Goalkeeper
6.82
5
Lewis Dunk
Lewis Dunk (C) Defender
7.36
21
Olivier Boscagli
Olivier Boscagli Defender
7.48
27
Mats Wieffer
Mats Wieffer Defender
7.29
36
Zadok Yohanna
Zadok Yohanna
Attacker78'
6.42
44
Luka Vuskovic
Luka Vuskovic Defender
7.35
8
Jack Hinshelwood
Jack Hinshelwood Midfielder
2
8.94
19
Charalampos Kostoulas
Charalampos Kostoulas
Attacker64'
6.38
13
Pascal Groß
Pascal Groß Midfielder
7.53
25
Diego Gómez
Diego Gómez Midfielder
7.92
35
Malick Yalcouyé
Malick Yalcouyé
Midfielder86'
26
Yasin Ayari
Yasin Ayari Midfielder
6.73
20
Costinha
Costinha
Defender64'
6.88
29
Maxim De Cuyper
Maxim De Cuyper Midfielder
8.21
15
Ibrahim Osman
Ibrahim Osman
Attacker78'
6.56
10
Georginio Rutter
Georginio Rutter Attacker
7.36
Referee : Peter Bankes

Starting XI ▼

40
Marco Bizot
Marco Bizot Goalkeeper
6.38
2
Matty Cash
Matty Cash Defender
6.32
3
Victor Lindelöf
Victor Lindelöf Defender
5.47
14
Pau Torres
Pau Torres Defender
4.94
5
Tyrone Mings
Tyrone Mings
Defender74'
6.64
22
Ian Maatsen
Ian Maatsen Defender
5.63
13
Matteo Ruggeri
Matteo Ruggeri
Defender82'
6.62
6
Ross Barkley
Ross Barkley Midfielder
6.61
26
Lamare Bogarde
Lamare Bogarde
Midfielder74'
6.51
7
John McGinn
John McGinn (C) Midfielder
6.24
47
Alysson
Alysson
Attacker82'
6.53
8
Boubacar Kamara
Boubacar Kamara Midfielder
6.21
35
João Gomes
João Gomes Midfielder
4.77
53
George Lawrence Hemmings
George Lawrence Hemmings Midfielder
6.5
10
Emiliano Buendía
Emiliano Buendía Attacker
7.1
17
Alejandro Garnacho
Alejandro Garnacho
Attacker86'

Events

2ND-HALF
90+5'
Event
Matty Cash
Foul / 5th Yellowcard
Event
Malick Yalcouyé → Diego Gómez
10th Substitution
86'
86'
Event
Alejandro Garnacho → Emiliano Buendía
9th Substitution
82'
Event
Alysson → John McGinn
7th Substitution
82'
Event
Matteo Ruggeri → Ian Maatsen
8th Substitution
Event
Ibrahim Osman → Maxim De Cuyper
5th Substitution
78'
Event
Zadok Yohanna → Mats Wieffer
6th Substitution
78'
74'
Event
Lamare Bogarde → Ross Barkley
3rd Substitution
74'
Event
Tyrone Mings → Pau Torres
4th Substitution
Event
Costinha → Yasin Ayari
1st Substitution
64'
Event
Charalampos Kostoulas → Jack Hinshelwood
2nd Substitution
64'
1ST-HALF
40'
Event
João Gomes
Violent conduct / 1st Redcard
39'
Event
João Gomes
Card adjusted
33'
Event
John McGinn
Foul / 4th Yellowcard
Event
Jack Hinshelwood
Right foot shot / 3rd Goal
31'
Event
Jack Hinshelwood
Header / 2nd Goal
30'
Event
Maxim De Cuyper
Left foot shot / 1st Goal
18'
Event
Yasin Ayari
Foul / 3rd Yellowcard
11'
Event
Pascal Groß
Foul / 2nd Yellowcard
9'
9'
Event
João Gomes
Argument / 1st Yellowcard
Event
Victor Lindelöf
Own Goal / 1st Own Goal
8'

Match Commentary

90
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Matthew Cash receives a yellow card.
90
Attempt Attempt
Charalampos Kostoulas takes a shot with his head, but it misses the target.
90
Update Update
Offside.
90
Attempt Attempt
Joao Pedro Loureiro da Costa takes a shot with his head, but it's saved.
86
Substitution Substitution
Substitution: Alejandro Garnacho comes on for Emiliano Buendia.
86
Update Update
Malick Yalcouye is coming on, replacing D. Joao Victor Gomes da Silva.
82
Update Update
Alysson Edward Franco da Rocha comes on for John McGinn.
82
Update Update
Matteo Ruggeri comes on for Ian Maatsen.
78
Update Update
Ibrahim Osman is on, and Maxim de Cuyper is off.
78
Update Update
Zadok Yohanna is on, and Mats Wieffer is off.
77
Attempt Attempt
Charalampos Kostoulas takes a right-footed shot but misses.
74
Update Update
Tyrone Mings is on, and Pau Torres is off.
74
Update Update
Lamare Bogarde comes on for Ross Barkley.
74
Update Update
Offside.
71
Attempt Attempt
Diego Gómez takes a right-footed shot but misses.
68
Attempt Attempt
Diego Gómez takes a right-footed shot but misses.
68
Attempt Attempt
Ross Barkley attempts a header but misses the shot.
68
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
65
Attempt Attempt
Joao Pedro Loureiro da Costa takes a shot with his right foot, but it hits the post.
65
Update Update
Offside.
64
Update Update
Joao Pedro Loureiro da Costa comes on for Yasin Ayari.
64
Update Update
Charalampos Kostoulas is on, and Jack Hinshelwood is off.
61
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
61
Attempt Attempt
Georginio Rutter takes a right-footed shot but misses.
58
Attempt Attempt
Jack Hinshelwood takes a right-footed shot, but it is blocked.
57
Attempt Attempt
Diego Gómez takes a shot with his right foot, but it's saved.
54
Attempt Attempt
Luka Vuskovic takes a left-footed shot but misses.
54
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
52
Attempt Attempt
Ian Maatsen takes a left-footed shot but misses.
51
Attempt Attempt
Yasin Ayari takes a right-footed shot but misses.
51
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
49
Update Update
Offside.
49
Attempt Attempt
Luka Vuskovic takes a right-footed shot but misses.
45
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
45
Attempt Attempt
Diego Gómez takes a shot with his right foot, but it is saved.
44
Attempt Attempt
Maxim de Cuyper takes a left-footed shot, but it is blocked.
43
Attempt Attempt
Maxim de Cuyper takes a left-footed shot but misses.
42
Attempt Attempt
Mats Wieffer takes a right-footed shot but misses.
42
Attempt Attempt
Yasin Ayari takes a right-footed shot, but it's blocked.
40
Red Card Red Card Important
Red card shown to Joao Victor Gomes da Silva.
39
Update Update
VAR decision results in a card change for Joao Victor Gomes da Silva.
35
Update Update
VAR decision results in a card change for Joao Victor Gomes da Silva.
31
Update Update
Offside.
31
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Goal! The score is now 4-0.
30
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Jack Hinshelwood takes a shot with his head and scores a goal.
30
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Goal! Jack Hinshelwood scores to make it 3-0, assisted by D. Joao Victor Gomes da Silva.
24
Attempt Attempt
Georginio Rutter takes a right-footed shot, but it is saved.
24
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
22
Update Update
Offside.
18
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Maxim de Cuyper scores with a left-footed shot.
18
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Goal! Maxim de Cuyper scores, making it 2-0.
17
Attempt Attempt
John McGinn takes a left-footed shot but misses.
16
Update Update
Offside.
11
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Yasin Ayari receives a yellow card.
9
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Pascal Gross receives a yellow card.
9
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Yellow card shown to Joao Victor Gomes da Silva.
8
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Shot by Victor Nilsson-Lindelof results in an own goal.
8
Attempt Attempt
Maxim de Cuyper takes a right-footed shot, but it hits the post.
8
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Own goal by Victor Nilsson-Lindelof puts the score at 1-0.
7
Attempt Attempt
Emiliano Buendia takes a left-footed shot but misses.
5
Attempt Attempt
Emiliano Buendia takes a left-footed shot but misses.
4
Attempt Attempt
Emiliano Buendia takes a right-footed shot but misses.
2
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
1
Update Update
Kick-off! The referee is Peter Bankes.

CONCLUSION

Final score detail: Brighton & Hove Albion 4-0 Aston Villa. Structural assessment: Brighton & Hove Albion exhibited a significant deviation from the pre-match structural baseline. Efficiency outcome: Possession-adjusted chance creation finished in line with projected levels. Result alignment: The final score was consistent with the pre-match probability model. Structural distortion: The match was materially influenced by red card(s), altering baseline dynamics. Market alignment: The match result was within the projected probability range.