Follow live coverage as Brighton & Hove Albion face Aston Villa 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.
The likes of Arsenal and Liverpool will be chasing Pep Guardiola's side, but just as fascinating will be the race for Champions League places, with more teams than ever before having designs on top-four finishes. Chelsea remain big-spending, Manchester United's latest rebuild continues and both Tottenham and Newcastle will expect improvements this year - yet it was Aston Villa who snared fourth last term.
Meanwhile, it's Southampton, Leicester City and Ipswich Town who made it back to the elite after promotion last year and each will have hope they can make it more than a one-year stay. Follow the latest live action from the Premier League below:
Brighton & Hove Albion FC 0 - 3 Aston Villa FC
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:47FULL TIME: BRIGHTON 0-3 ASTON VILLA
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:43Assist Marco Asensio Willemsen
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:43Cashin puts the Villa defence under some pressure, but his cross is turned away with ease.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:41Asensio plays a threatening lobbed ball over to Watkins, but the covering Estupinan is there to stop the move.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:40Villa almost breakaway through the combining substitutes Malen and Watkins, however, the move breaks down as Watkins opts for the corner flag.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:38Estupinan’s left-footed cross is misjudged and almost catches Martinez out as he is forced into a save.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:36Watkins is booked for a late challenge on van Hecke.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:35There will be 10 minutes of added time!
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:34Yellow Card Axel Wilson Arthur Disasi Mhakinis Belho
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:33Baleba fires the ball into the half-empty Brighton crowd. His effort sums up Brighton today as they look set to suffer a first home defeat in the Premier League since January.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:32Yellow Card Damián Emiliano Martínez Romero
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:31Substitution Morgan Elliot Rogers Donyell Malen
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:30Rogers goes down with no one around him, but gets back to his feet as he wants to continue.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:29Villa have had lots of the ball since their second goal, as Brighton appear to have ran out of ideas.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:27VAR CHECK FOR FOUL. VAR were closely looking at Watkins' involvement in the goal as he tripped up the Brighton defender, but the goal stands and it's 2-0 to the Villans
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:26Substitution Brajan Gruda Matthew Sean O'Riley
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:23Substitution Matthew Stuart Cash Axel Wilson Arthur Disasi Mhakinis Belho
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:22Assist Morgan Elliot Rogers
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:21Goal Marco Asensio Willemsen
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:20Martinez is taking his time with his goal-kicks, desperate for the clock to tick down as Villa surrender possession again.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:19Estupinan finds the recently introduced substitute Welbeck, but the 34-year-old gets the ball stuck under his feet.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:15Hinshelwood, who was held back by the burden of a yellow card, is replaced by Wieffer.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:15Substitution Diego Alexander Gómez Amarilla Carlos Noom Quomah Baleba
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:15Substitution João Pedro Junqueira de Jesus Daniel Nii Tackie Mensah Welbeck
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:15Hurzeler is prepping three substitutions as Brighton still chase a vital goal in their quest for European football.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:12Brighton continue to probe for an equaliser, it can't be long before Hurzeler makes some changes...
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:08Pedro recieves treatment. The Brazilian looks in some discomfort as he appears to be holding his arm whilst on the decl.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:08Substitution Youri Marion A. Tielemans Amadou Ba Zeund Georges Mvom Onana
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:08Substitution Jacob Matthew Ramsey Marco Asensio Willemsen
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:08Substitution Marcus Rashford Oliver George Arthur Watkins
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:07Pedro has a headed effort on goal as Brighton manage get a cross in the box from a well-worked throw-in.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:05Fabian Hurzeler is visibly aggrieved by VAR's decision to rule out Brighton's equalizer. They will have to regroup and go again, as we approach the final 30 minutes of the match.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:05Brighton are level! Or are they? The Seagulls have the ball in the net after Adingra finishes from close range, but it looks like there may have been a handball from Mitoma, so VAR is going to check it.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
21:04VAR RULE OUT THE GOAL FOR HANDBALL! After a lengthy VAR check, Mitoma was ajudged to handle the ball in the build-up to Adingra's goal. It remains 1-0 to Villa!
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:59Brighton have regained control in the game as they search for an equaliser.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:59Goal Simon Kofi Adingra
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:55Assist Morgan Elliot Rogers
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:55Brighton fire in their fourth corner of the game as Van Hecke header is caught rather easily by Martinez
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:54Goal Marcus Rashford
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:53Brighton have had the majority of possession in the second half so far, a goal would do the world of good for the Seagulls' European ambitions.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:49Brighton get us underway for the second half!
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:48According to the OPTA Live Win Probability calculator, a Brighton win has as much chance as this match ending as a stalemate, with 35.9%. Brighton won this exact ficture 1-0 last season, scoring the solitary goal in the 87th minute of the game through Pedro.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:44After a tightly contested first-half with few clear-cut chances, a moment of brilliance nearly broke the deadlock just before the break. Ayari's clever free-kick stood out as the best opportunity of the game so far, nearly giving his side the lead going into half-time. With both teams registering just under 0.4 expected goals, the lack of cutting edge in the final third has been evident. Could this be a game for England international Watkins, with five of his 13 Premier League goals giving Aston Villa the lead in a match. A Brighton win has as much chance as a draw according to the OPTA Live Win Probability calculator, with 35.9%.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:33HALF-TIME: BRIGHTON 0-0 ASTON VILLA
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:32The fourth official has awarded just one minute of additional time. Can either a team find a breakthrough in the dying moments of the first half?
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:31The Villans have managed to regain some composure after the goalmouth scramble, and find their way up into the Seagulls' half.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:29BRIGHTON HIT THE POST! Ayari opts to go around the wall from his close-range free kick, and it rebounds off the post where it is finally scrambled away by Villa.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:27Kamara gives away a free kick right on the edge of Villa's penalty area. This is a real chance for Brighton, can they find a way over Villa's wall from such close range?
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:24NO PENALTY. Hinshelwood was deemed to have got a touch on the ball as VAR instruct the referee to play on.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:24VILLA WANT A PENALTY!! Hinshelwood, who is already in the referee's book, lunges for the ball as Ramsey's feet but appears to be late. VAR are having a long look.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:2340.4% of the action has been inside the Aston Villa third over the last 15 minutes, highlighting how Brighton have managed to gain somne control in the game.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:20Kamara, who has been at the heart of things for Villa, wins the ball for Villa in the Brighton half, but the ball bobbles away from Rogers just as he was going to enter the Seagulls box.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:18Gruda cleverly fouls Ramsey as he tries to turn inside his own half and breakaway. He might not get away with another...
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:16Mitoma is enjoying lots of the ball down the left and is trying his best to find a route through the resolute Villa defence.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:14Mitoma goes down inside the Villa box after a nudge from Cash, but the on-field and VAR decision is no penalty.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:14It's been back and forth from both sides in the opening 27 minutes, with neither team having a real control in the game.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:12ADINGRA ALMOST GETS THE OPENER!! Brighton play through Villa's midfield with ease as Mitoma runs into the gaping space and finds Adingra, who almost finds the perfect finish from outside the box.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:10Gomez fouls Cash inside the Villa box and eases the pressure on Unai Emery's side.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:09CASH COMES CLOSE! Digne's free kick evades the Brighton defence and finds a wide-open Cash at the back post. The Polish defender shows great technique as it just sails over Verbruggen's net.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:06Yellow Card Jack Luca Hinshelwood
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:05Mitoma manages to find space between the Villa defence but could only fire into the hands of Martinez. Brighton's best chance of the match so far as the intensity ramps up.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:03Both Brighton and Villa have each both scored and conceded in 20 of their 29 Premier League games this season. Chances have been few and far between in the opening 15 minutes.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
20:00RASHFORD WASTES A CHANCE! Kamara's looping diagonal pass finds Rashford in acres of space as he enters the box and shifts past the Brighton defenders but he miskicked his strike past the far-right post
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
19:57Brighton fail to make use of another corner as Kamara jumps highest and manages to clear only as far as another Seagulls player.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
19:55Digne's whipped left-footed cross finds a jumping McGinn but his header is off target as he wants a corner.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
19:55Estupinan's corner is well overhit and goes out for a throw on the opposite side.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
19:53Pedro holds the ball up well on the right flank and wins the first corner of the night!
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
19:52Cash puts a teasing ball into the centre of Brighton’s box which is met by Konsa’s soft header, which Verbruggen almost spills into an eagerly awaiting Rashford's path.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
19:50Brighton have scored at least two goals in each of their last five Premier league games, they continue to press high from the start.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
19:46McGinn gets the game underway for Aston Villa!
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
19:44The players are making their way onto the pitch ahead of kick-off! The home side are slight favourites, according to the OPTA Live Win Probability calculator, with a 43.3% chance of victory, while visitors Villa are given a 30.6% chance.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
19:24Unai Emery selects two changes from Aston Villa’s FA Cup win over Preston last weekend. McGinn replaces Asensio, while Mings makes way for Torres. Rashford retains his place after scoring his first goals for the club, while the club’s top scorer, Watkins, remains on the bench.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
19:24Brighton make five changes from their FA Cup exit to Nottingham Forest, with Fabian Hurzeler hoping fresh legs can inspire another home win. Pedro replaces Welbeck upfront, and the Brazilian boasts more goal involvements against Villa (4), than any other opponent in the Premier League.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
19:16ASTON VILLA SUBS: Robin Olsen, Andres Garcia, Axel Disasi, Ian Maatsen, Tyrone Mings, Amadou Onana, Donyell Malen, Marco Asensio, Ollie Watkins.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
19:16ASTON VILLA: (4-2-3-1): Emi Martinez; Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, Lucas Digne; Boubacar Kamara, Youri Tielemans; Jacob Ramsey John Mcginn, Morgan Rogers; Marcus Rashford.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
19:16BRIGHTON SUBS: Carl Rushworth, Charlie Tasker, Eiran Cashin, Carlos Baleba, Mats Wieffer, Matthew O’Riley, Danny Welbeck, Solly March, Yankuba Minteh.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
19:15BRIGHTON (4-2-3-1): Bart Verbruggen; Jack Hinshelwood, Jan Paul van Hecke, Lewis Dunk, Pervis Estupinan; Yasin Ayari, Diego Gomez; Simon Adingra, Brajan Gruda, Kaoru Mitoma; Joao Pedro.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
19:15Meanwhile, Aston Villa will return to Wembley for the first time in five years when they play in the FA Cup semi-finals, following a commanding 3-0 triumph over Preston. Unai emery’s side are winless in their last two meetings with Brighton, but have the opportunity to leapfrog their opponents as they, too, chase a place among Europe’s elite.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
19:15After their heartbreaking penalty shootout exit in the FA Cup quarter-finals extended their pursuit for a first-ever major trophy, Brighton have the chance to hit the 50-point mark tonight as they continue their push for European football. The Seagulls have won their last three Premier League games at the Amex Stadium, and will be aiming to secure a fourth consecutive home victory for the very first time in their top-flight history.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
19:15Good evening and welcome to our live text commentary coverage of Brighton & Hove Albion’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Aston Villa
17:45Follow all the goals and latest action from the Premier League here with The Independent. Team news and line-ups coming up shortly…
