BRIGHTON'S ATTACKING POWER VS ASTON VILLA'S SET-PIECE SPECIALISTS: PEDRO ON PATH TO CLUB RECORD!

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Brighton and Hove Albion – Aston Villa

April 1st, 2025

The Amex Stadium has transformed into a fortress in recent weeks. Brighton have won three league games in a row and now stand before a historic opportunity - a fourth consecutive home victory would mark a premier entry in the club's top-flight chronicles. However, statistics warn that Aston Villa isn't among the Seagulls' favorite opponents. Brighton have beaten them at home only once in five attempts, though this happened in their last mutual encounter at this stadium in May last year (1-0).

The Villans were almost unbeatable against Brighton until recently. Between November 2021 and September 2023, they recorded five consecutive wins, but in the last two duels, they've failed to collect points (a draw and a loss). Unai Emery's men are improving though - they've won two of their last three league games, which equals their record from the previous nine combined.

Brighton's offensive strength is admirable. In their last five league duels, they've scored at least two goals each time. If they repeat this performance now, they would create a new club record in the top flight. The last time they achieved a similar streak was in April 2016 in the Championship, when they scored twice or more in seven consecutive games.

Matches between both teams promise a goal festival. Both Aston Villa and Brighton have scored and conceded in 20 of their 29 Premier League games this season. Only Fulham's matches have seen goals at both ends more frequently (21).

The duel offers an interesting clash of set-piece situations. Aston Villa is the league's best team in finishing set pieces (excluding penalties), having scored 13 goals from them. Brighton, on the other hand, is among the best defending teams in this discipline - they've conceded only 6 goals from set pieces, with only Brentford (3) and Manchester City (5) allowing fewer.

Key figures for the home side will be Jan Paul van Hecke and Kaoru Mitoma, who lead the league statistics in ball progression. The Dutch defender has carried the ball for a distance of 4,256 meters, while the Japanese speedster has covered 3,235 meters, which are the highest values in the entire competition.

The biggest threat for the visitors remains Ollie Watkins. The English international has scored 13 goals this season, with 11 of them being extremely important - either equalizing the score (6) or putting Aston Villa in the lead (5). Only three players in the league have recorded more such valuable strikes: Mo Salah (14), Erling Haaland (14), and Alexander Isak (12).

Brazilian striker João Pedro has an exceptional record against Aston Villa. He hasn't recorded as many goal involvements against any other Premier League opponent (1 goal, 3 assists). Moreover, he has scored from the penalty spot in both of his last home games and could become just the sixth player in Brighton's history to score in three consecutive home league duels.

We thank OPTA for providing the statistical data.


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