Aston Villa v Brighton: Team newspublished at 18:30 GMT 11 February
18:30 GMT 11 February
Matty Cash misses out with a knee injury as Unai Emery makes two changes for Aston Villa.
Lamare Bogarde comes in at right back for Cash while Ian Maatsen also starts at left-back as Lucas Digne drops to the bench.
Ollie Watkins starts ahead of Tammy Abraham, who is on the bench, while Harvey Elliott is again left out but winger Alysson is in the squad for the first time since arriving from Gremio.
Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Bogarde, Mings, Konsa, Maatsen, Onana, Luiz, Sancho, Buendia, Rogers, Watkins
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler makes five changes from the 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.
The Seagulls have won just once in the last 12 Premier League games so Joel Veltman, Jan Paul Van Hecke, Diego Gomez and Jack Hinshelwood and Danny Welbeck all come in.
James Milner is on the bench waiting to equal the Premier League appearance record at one of his former clubs.
Aston Villa v Brighton: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 08:55 GMT 11 February
08:55 GMT 11 February
Noel Sliney BBC Sport senior journalist
Champions League-chasing Aston Villa seek to put their indifferent form behind them on Wednesday at the expense of an out-of-sorts Brighton side who have lost seven of the past nine league meetings.
Villa have won just two of their seven most recent midweek Premier League games, though both victories came against Brighton – including by a 4-3 scoreline in December.
Squeaky Brum time
Villa had an eight-point cushion in third place after 20 games, and were 11 clear of fifth. After Tuesday night's results, they are now two points clear of fourth-placed Manchester United, with Chelsea a further point behind.
It's just one win, three goals and five points from as many league games for Unai Emery's side, who are in danger of becoming the first English top-flight team to lose three successive home matches after winning the previous eight.
Following Saturday's hard-fought draw at Bournemouth, Emery told the media: "Two months ago you were saying we are contenders to win the Premier League. Now, two months on, everything I told you two months ago makes sense. Why? Because the Premier League is a very difficult league."
In truth, the vast majority of Villa supporters never truly believed their side were title contenders this season. Their concern now is whether the team can overcome the destabilising effect of key midfield injuries and find a way to remain firmly in the hunt for Champions League qualification and trophy success via the Europa League or FA Cup.
Comfort can be found in the fact Villa are four wins and nine points better off than at this stage last season, when only goal difference kept them out of the Champions League. They're a mere two points down on the 2023-24 campaign, in which they finished fourth.
Rogers rivalling best young attacking players in Europe
Morgan Rogers has overcome a poor start to the season to become Villa's trump card this season. While Ollie Watkins and Villa's summer attacking reinforcements struggle to provide an end product, Rogers has already equalled last season's tally of eight league goals.
He is also one of only five players still under the age of 24 in Europe's top five leagues to have managed a minimum 20 goals and 20 assists since the start of last season.
Brighton rocked
While Aston Villa are experiencing a wobble, Brighton are suffering a crisis of confidence. Albion were booed off following Sunday's home defeat by Crystal Palace, with some fans calling for head coach Fabian Hurzeler to be sacked.
Brighton, who were restricted to a season's low of 13 touches in the opposition penalty area against Palace, have only beaten Burnley in their past 12 top-flight fixtures.
"We have a loss of self-confidence, and how you get the self-confidence back is only by getting the right results," said Hurzeler, who could give James Milner a Premier League record-equalling 653rd appearance.
Albion have taken just two points from their past five away matches and won three of their 26 Premier League games played on a Wednesday; that 11.5% win rate is the lowest among current sides in the division.
Their loss of form can be traced back to the reverse fixture against Aston Villa on 3 December. Brighton led 2-0 and would have gone third in the table, above Villa, had they won – only to lose 4-3. Their record since then is the third worst in the division.
Sutton's predictions: Aston Villa v Brightonpublished at 07:50 GMT 11 February
07:50 GMT 11 February
Brighton have only won one of their past 12 league games so the worry for them has to be that they will get sucked into the relegation scrap.
It was a 4-3 home defeat by Aston Villa in December that was the start of this poor run for Fabian Hurzeler's side, and I don't see it ending at Villa Park.
I'm surprised that the Seagulls are struggling. I looked at their bench against Crystal Palace at the weekend and thought 'blimey, they've got a good squad' - but they are underperforming and the fans seem really split on Hurzeler, and have been for a while.
Villa were lucky to get a point against Bournemouth at the weekend and I couldn't believe how Lucas Digne just let Rayan run past him for the Cherries equaliser. He seemed to give up and it was astonishingly bad defending.
Unai Emery's side have lost their past two home league games, against Everton and Brentford, which worries me.
Will it be a hat-trick of home defeats, or will they come good again? I've got to back my old team, so I am going with my heart here and saying Morgan Rogers will make the difference.
Gossip: Villa have eyes on Gibbs-Whitepublished at 07:05 GMT 11 February
07:05 GMT 11 February
Aston Villa view England midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White as an excellent fit, with the 26-year-old potentially leaving Nottingham Forest this summer. (Teamtalk), external
Emery on Barkley, Sancho and respect for Hurzelerpublished at 14:45 GMT 10 February
14:45 GMT 10 February
Flora Snelson BBC Sport journalist
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Premier League game against Brighton & Hove Albion at Villa Park (kick-off 19:30 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Ross Barkley is available to play against Brighton
On how he rates Villa's chances of qualifying for the Champions League: "We are not thinking about the end of the season, we are thinking about now. There are ups and downs, but more ups than downs."
Emery thinks that Brighton are not getting the points they deserve: "Watching how they play, I like it a lot. They are consistent in style, it's a team playing good football with combinations, intensity and a good press."
On Jadon Sancho: "The first part of his season he was not achieving the level that we needed. He's getting better. We believe in him. He's getting better and he deserves to play more minutes."
On Fabian Hurzeler: "He has a huge future as a coach. I respect him a lot and I really like how they're playing."
'Emery's side look ready for unpredictable battle ahead'published at 17:54 GMT 9 February
17:54 GMT 9 February
David Michael Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
Aston Villa and statistics have never really correlated this season, and that's without even getting onto the subject of xG.
At the start of the season, Opta rated Villa's opening six Premier League fixtures as the easiest in the division. On paper, it looked ideal. Villa needed to get out of the blocks quickly, to build points before European commitments began and a punishing Christmas schedule took hold.
The reality was starkly different. After five league matches, Villa were winless and sat in the relegation zone, finally recording their first win only at the sixth attempt.
At that stage, Villa were nowhere near the Champions League qualification conversation.
That rhetoric arrived later. Villa embarked on an extraordinary 11-game winning run, brushing aside all comers in the build-up to Christmas and even triggering talk of them being in the title race.
Throughout it all, Unai Emery consistently poured cold water on any title talk. At the peak of the run, he was unequivocal: "To speak about the title does not make sense for us. Now in December it does not make sense."
A month later, following Villa's first home defeat, after 11 straight wins at Villa Park, against Everton, Emery went further still, even casting doubt on Champions League qualification: "We are not contenders to be in the top five. We are still not being contenders.
"There are other teams with more potential than us."
The Opta supercomputer disagrees. It currently gives Villa a 95.9% chance of finishing in the top five, a figure that appears to ignore changing on-pitch reality. Villa's points buffer is steadily eroding, with Manchester United now just three points behind Villa in third.
The reality aligns far more closely with Emery's caution than Opta's confidence. Villa's engine room has been ripped out. The captain, John McGinn, is injured, alongside two of the side's most influential players, Youri Tielemans and Boubacar Kamara.
As Villa hinted away at Bournemouth, the resolve still exists within the team that formed the backbone of their early-season success. Patched up by the January transfer window, Emery's side look ready for the unpredictable battle ahead, one that Opta will certainly have little insight into.
Lee: Only one team wanted to win this game! Great effort from the Cherries - Alex Scott and James Hill were immense and Emiliano Martinez had to be at his best to keep Villa in the game. Great point and we move on to Everton on Tuesday!
Malcolm: Another top team performance from Andoni Iraola's boys. We have so much talent in the squad and all players are stepping up, including the newer signings. A win looked on the cards but Martinez's performance was top class. Happy days on the south coast.
Roger: A brilliant home debut and goal for Rayan. Given more time being coached by our brilliant manager Iraola, I think he could be better than Antoine Semenyo.
Paul: Very proud of Bournemouth. Time and time again, we push to win games rather than settle for the draw. Villa showed so much less ambition considering their title and Champions League aspirations. Also, I loved seeing the composure and elegance in the play of Scott, Hill and Lewis Cook. All three should be closely looked at for England duty.
Villa fans
Mossy: I think the Villa are in for a long, hard run-in. I really hope we can hang in there for a Champions League spot, but with Manchester United deciding they like their new manager and Chelsea pushing hard, let alone Liverpool, it's going to be very hard to stay in there. We've lost our drive and vision in John McGinn and Youri Tielemans, and our anchor in Boubacar Kamara. You just can't replace all three of them together. Thankfully we have Morgan Rogers up front doing everything he can to drag us home. A decent point, though, against a good team at their ground.
Martyn: This performance was another reality check. The fact is our squad just isn't good enough to maintain our lofty position and the big boys are about to take over the top spots. Fifth place is now a realistic target, which might be vital to retain the services of Unai Emery.
Prit: With the exception of fantastic games by Martinez and Rogers, Villa were not at the races and played like this was a pre-season match. Bournemouth wanted the match more and, in all fairness, deserved the win. Villa seem to have forgotten how to pass the ball to another player and the intensity we had before Christmas has simply evaporated.
Phil: Poor game management by Emery. Too defensive with Tyrone Mings and Lucas Digne starting. Slow to replace Ollie Watkins, who looks leggy. Please sell Leon Bailey and persist with Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott. Martinez saved the day more than once.
Watch Premier League highlights and analysispublished at 11:15 GMT 8 February
11:15 GMT 8 February
Pundits Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures and Friday's action.
Bournemouth 1-1 Aston Villa: What Emery saidpublished at 17:48 GMT 7 February
17:48 GMT 7 February
Media caption,
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery, speaking to BBC Sport: "The second half we couldn't [play how they wanted], they pushed us. They were in our box more times than we wanted. We tried to get some momentum to dominate. We created one chance with Matty Cash but they created more. It's a very good point.
"We defended fantastic. It's necessary to practice defending throw-ins and corners. A lot of duels. They are producing a lot of hands. We must fight."
On Jadon Sancho: "He's progressing. He's getting better. Hopefully he can help us more and more this season."
On Morgan Rogers: "Fantastic. He's doing a fantastic season. He was always pushing, helping. Everyone was feeling good playing with him."
Did you know?
Only against Brighton in February 2021 (9) and against Liverpool in both July 2020 and April 2021 (8) has Villa's Emi Martinez made more saves in a Premier League game than his seven against Bournemouth.
Bournemouth 1-1 Aston Villa: More dropped points as title hopes fadepublished at 17:43 GMT 7 February
17:43 GMT 7 February
Michael Emons BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Aston Villa are nine points behind leaders Arsenal and eight ahead of sixth-placed Liverpool
Aston Villa have been English champions seven times in their history, but not since 1980-81.
A run of eight successive wins in November and December left their fans dreaming of glory, with Villa being only three points off the top just after Christmas.
But head coach Unai Emery has consistently talked down his side's chances of winning the Premier League, last month saying they were not in contention to finish in the top five.
This failure to hold on to the three points at Bournemouth was further evidence that Emery's side, although still clearly on an upward trajectory, are not ready to sustain a serious push for the Premier League title.
Villa have now won two, drawn two and lost three of their past seven in the league, picking up eight points out of a possible 21.
Boosted by the return of England striker Ollie Watkins, who had missed the shock 1-0 home defeat by Brentford, Villa thought they had taken the lead, only for Watkins to be offside when tapping in from Morgan Rogers' square pass.
Villa did score two minutes later through Rogers, but they could not build on that and only managed four shots on target, compared to nine from the hosts.
The Cherries were the better side in the second half and fully deserved their point, which they secured through a fine solo goal from 19-year-old Rayan.
Martinez had to make seven saves to secure a hard-earned draw for Villa.
Champions League qualification is surely Villa's most realistic target now, with a top-five position in the Premier League likely to be enough for a return to the elite continental competition.
With 13 games to go, Villa are eight points clear of sixth-placed Liverpool, although the Reds have played one fewer match.
You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Bournemouth v Aston Villa" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Arsenal v Sunderland", for instance.
Sutton's predictions: Bournemouth v Aston Villapublished at 11:12 GMT 7 February
11:12 GMT 7 February
Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against AI, BBC Sport readers and a variety of guests.
His guest for week 25 is Gladiators star Apollo, real name Alex Gray, who supports Newcastle.
Sutton says: Losing back-to-back home league games against Everton and Brentford has been a real killer for Aston Villa, who have so many injuries to contend with in their midfield.
After a long wait for a win, Bournemouth have now won three of their past four league games - and I make them favourites at home here.
Villa thumped the Cherries 4-0 at Villa Park in November, and I have got a lot of their players in my Fantasy team, but this is going to be a very different game.
I've gone for 2-1 wins in my first two games and I don't really want to go for that scoreline again here, but I feel like I have no choice. I do think Villa will score - Morgan Rogers is always dangerous and Tammy Abraham is a clever signing up front - but Bournemouth will edge it.
The Commentators' View on 'consummate professional' Milnerpublished at 19:55 GMT 6 February
19:55 GMT 6 February
Image source, Getty Images
James Milner has been described as the "consummate professional" on BBC Radio 5 Live's The Commentators' View podcast, as he closes in on Gareth Barry's record for most appearances in the Premier League.
If Milner features for Brighton against Crystal Palace on Sunday, he will reach 653, the same number Barry finished with when he retired in 2020.
Speaking on the podcast, BBC senior football reporter Ian Dennis said: "I did spend a lot of time with him when I covered the England under-21s. There was a tournament in Holland in 2007 and then I remember him in Sweden in 2009 and spoke a lot to him when he was an England international at various England camps. And the way he has conducted himself, he is the model pro, isn't he? He is the consummate professional."
BBC commentator Alistair Bruce-Ball added: "The other thing when we're talking about being the consummate professional, 40 years old, he gets on for a minute or two at the end of that game [last weekend] and annoyingly when he's on, Everton equalise.
"You've got to do all the running after the game because you've only played a couple of minutes of football, but when you're in your 24th season of Premier League football, and you're still prepared to do all of that, that says something in itself."
BBC football correspondent John Murray touched on how much Milner will have had to look after himself to sustain the longevity he has had, saying: "It can't be a coincidence that he's kept himself fit over the years, which I think attests to himself being a professional. He's clearly had to look after himself to be able to do that."
Bournemouth v Aston Villa: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 19:01 GMT 6 February
19:01 GMT 6 February
Noel Sliney BBC Sport senior journalist
Rejuvenated Bournemouth have won five of their past seven league games against top-three sides but they are winless in six matches against Saturday's high-flying visitors Aston Villa (15:00 GMT).
Villa won the reverse fixture 4-0 and are vying to complete their first league double over Bournemouth. Nonetheless, the Villans are experiencing a domestic dip in form, taking just seven points from six matches.
Kroupi becoming cornerstone of rebuilt Bournemouth
It has been a curious season so far for Bournemouth. They were second in the table after nine matches but then went 11 without a win before recovering to earn 10 points from their past four league fixtures.
Their recent upturn has come despite the £62.5m sale of Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City, who became the sixth key departure from the side which ended last season with a club record Premier League points total.
Amid the team rebuild, one player who has come to the fore is Junior Kroupi. Plucked a year ago from Lorient in the French second division, where he stayed on loan until last summer, the 19-year-old forward has steadily made himself indispensable.
Kroupi has been nominated for the Premier League's Player of the Month award for January, during which he scored three goals in five games – including a 20-yard strike against Arsenal and superb half-volley to put Bournemouth ahead at Wolves last weekend.
The £10m signing has made four Premier League starts in a row for the first time, playing as a support striker behind Evanilson, and his eight goals this season are the second most by a teenager in Europe's top five leagues behind Lamine Yamal of Barcelona.
Kroupi also has the best minutes-per-goal ratio of anyone to score more than once in the Premier League this term, as well as the best shot conversion rate – finding the net with 38% of his attempts on goal.
Misfiring Villa in need of an attacking spark
A run of three defeats in six league games, coupled with long-term injuries to three key midfielders, has perhaps recalibrated Aston Villa's credentials. Though being third in the table is certainly no fluke – Villa have consistently shown top-four form since Unai Emery's arrival in late 2022 – they are unable to match the star quality and squad depth of the teams around them.
They were excellent just a fortnight ago in beating Newcastle at St James' Park, but have now lost back-to-back home league games, latterly against 10-man Brentford.
The controversially disallowed goal for Tammy Abraham, back at the club for a second spell, last Sunday means Aston Villa have failed to score in three of their past four top-flight matches. Neither did they particularly trouble the opposition defence in any of those three games.
Emery predominantly brought in attacking players during the January transfer window, including recalling winger Leon Bailey from a loan spell at Roma, and he will be eager for them to redress a startling fact – Aston Villa are the only team without a Premier League goal this season from any of their 2025-26 signings.
Emery on Watkins' fitness, Onana's availability and squad depthpublished at 15:13 GMT 6 February
15:13 GMT 6 February
Huzaifah Khan BBC Sport journalist
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Bournemouth at Vitality Stadium (kick-off 15:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Emery confirmed Ollie Watkins is back training with the squad after his "small injury" last week.
He said, despite the fact that Leon Bailey and Tammy Abraham are returning to the club, they will need to "adapt quick" to matches and get used to surroundings again.
On what he makes of the state of his squad at the moment: "Good because we joined some players like we needed and some players left for different circumstances and when I am seeing the squad I can watch, we have good players to keep being demanding and to keep being consistent like we were before the transfer window with the players who joined."
Emery was asked about the lack of availability from Amadou Onana who has played only 55 of 91 matches since he joined, and explained: "His potential is still there when he's playing ready and 100% his performances have been fantastic, and I think progressing a lot in a year and a half."
He added: "The challenge he has and the challenge I have for him is being consistent and playing matches in a row and not getting injured."
On whether his side are currently struggling due to the amount of matches they are having to play: "I prefer to play lots of matches, but when we can have some weeks free to work or recover some players after they have been injured is the circumstance that makes sense."
On facing Bournemouth, Emery said: "The result they had at home, they lost 3-2 against Arsenal and they won 3-2 against Tottenham and 3-2 against Liverpool. Those three matches, five goals, winning two matches, losing one, this is the analysis we have. We've deeply analysed how we can get our best performance, but it will be very difficult."
'Manager's dream' Milner nears Premier League recordpublished at 10:48 GMT 6 February
10:48 GMT 6 February
Neil Johnston BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Twenty-four years after making his debut, James Milner, 40, will equal the record for most Premier League appearances if he features for Brighton against Crystal Palace on Sunday.
A stellar career spanning more than two decades, six top-flight clubs, 652 Premier League appearances, 61 England caps, three Premier League titles, two FA Cups and one Champions League triumph has also delivered some unexpected moments.
Milner is set to go level with Gareth Barry, who played 653 times, at the top of the all-time Premier League appearance list some 8,491 days after making his debut for hometown club Leeds United soon after leaving school in 2002.
Milner was just 16 and earning £70 a week as a YTS player when he broke into the first team at Leeds, six months after taking his GCSE exams.
Milner signed for Newcastle in a deal worth £5m in 2005.
Alan Shearer, who played with Milner at Newcastle, describes him as a model professional and a "manager's dream".
"You would do well if you had him in your squad because you knew exactly what you were going to get," adds former England captain Shearer.
However, a year after signing, Milner was sent out on loan to Premier League rivals Aston Villa, with then Magpies boss Graeme Souness defending his decision at the time saying "you won't win the league with James Milners".
Milner had impressed on loan at Villa so much that in September 2006 they offered around £4m to sign him permanently but Newcastle pulled out of the deal at the 11th hour at the end of the transfer window and he would not get his permanent switch to Villa for another two years.
In 2020 he opted for the challenge of reviving Manchester City's fortunes and left five years later having helped them win two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, one League Cup and one Community Shield.
"We won the Premier League together in 2012 but there were times that season when things were not going well," recalls former City defender Micah Richards.
"He was one of the people who kept everyone going."
After 147 top-flight appearances for City, he was ready for his next challenge.
Next stop...Liverpool, where he won the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Uefa Super Cup, Fifa Club World Cup and the Community Shield.
After Liverpool came an offer from Brighton in 2023 to prolong his top-flight career, where he continues to compete in what is his 24th Premier League season.
Milner became the Premier League's second-oldest goalscorer earlier this season and celebrated by recreating Diogo Jota's celebration in tribute to his former Liverpool team-mate, who died in a car crash last July.
"I've not scored [in the Premier League] for six years and I was wearing his number. Obviously, I've got help from the great man," said an emotional Milner after the match.
Image source, Google
Milner still remembers a conversation with veteran Leeds goalkeeper Nigel Martyn soon after breaking into the first team 24 years ago.
"He told me, 'Enjoy it while you can because it goes so fast'. I said, 'Leave it out, Nige, I'm 16!'
"And here we are in the blink of an eye - and I'm where he was."