Brighton vs Aston Villa predictions: Premier League tips & 21/2 Bet Builder

Aston Villa kick off their Premier League campaign away at Brighton in the midst of a crisis following a host of key departures on the eve of the season.

Ezri Konsa looks set to be the latest member of their Europa League-winning side to depart as a move to Arsenal draws nearer, joining Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers and Lucas Digne on their way out of the door, with speculation over the futures of Emiliano Martinez and Ollie Watkins. It looks a difficult trip for their threadbare squad to the Seagulls, who will once again hope to push for a European place under Fabian Hurzeler this season.

Below you'll find our expert Bet Builder for Brighton vs Aston Villa, including a correct-score prediction, lineups and where to watch in the UK.

Brighton vs Aston Villa match details

• Fixture: Brighton vs Aston Villa

• Competition: Premier League

• Date: Sunday, August 23, 2026

• Kick-off: 14:00 BST

• Venue: American Express Stadium

• TV/Where to watch (UK): Sky Sports

Our prediction: Brighton 2-1 Aston Villa

Brighton vs Aston Villa predicted lineups

Brighton

Our predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen / Wieffer, Vuskovic, Struijk, Kadioglu / Ayari, Gross / Gomez, Hinshelwood, De Cuyper / Rutter

Aston Villa

Our predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Bizot / Cash, Lindelof, Torres, Maatsen / Kamara, Barkley / McGinn, Buendia, Hemmings / Watkins

• Predicting how every Premier League team will line up in 2026/27

Brighton vs Aston Villa Bet Builder

Ladbrokes shares its Brighton vs Aston Villa Bet Builder, which is coming in at 21/2.

• Leg 1 - Jack Hinshelwood to score anytime

• Leg 2 - Emiliano Buendia to commit 2+ fouls

• Leg 3 - Over 1.5 total goals

• Leg 4 - Brighton to win

Jack Hinshelwood to score anytime

Jack Hinshelwood enjoyed an impressive end to last season in a more advanced role, scoring in three consecutive games against Chelsea, Newcastle and Wolves, while he also scored the only goal of their final pre-season game against Bologna. The 2026/27 season could be the one where the midfielder really makes his name and feels like a strong pick in the goalscorer market.

Emiliano Buendia to commit 2+ fouls

With so much uncertainty around the rest of the team, Emiliano Buendia feels like a near-certain pick for Aston Villa, but the Argentine is no stranger to getting stuck in with tactical fouls in midfield. Buendia committed 2.1 fouls per 90 minutes for Villa last season, the most of any player, and also received six bookings. With Brighton set to control proceedings, we're backing the 29-year-old to commit at least two fouls on the South Coast.

Over 1.5 total goals

This fixture last season was a 4-3 thriller won by Villa, with four of the last five games between these two at the Amex seeing more than a single goal. While we're expecting Brighton to have the lion's share of attacks, Villa still have threats themselves, so at least two goals in this game feels reasonable.

Brighton to win

Finally, we're backing Brighton to take advantage of Villa's early-season uncertainty and begin the season with three points. Villa have a strong record at the Amex, but the XI that lines up on Sunday will have a much different look to it than it has in the last three to four years, and it looks a tall order for Unai Emery's men to take anything from this game.

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All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.