Villa's Europa League Glory Faces Test Against Rebuilt Brighton
Brighton & Hove Albion welcomes Aston Villa to the American Express Stadium on Sunday, August 23, 2026. Both clubs arrive with reason to feel optimistic about the season ahead.
Aston Villa finished fourth last term and won the Europa League, while Brighton finished eighth and reached Europe for only the second time in their history.
The two teams have undergone significant rebuilds this summer, with neither club shy in the transfer market. Brighton signed Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham for a club-record £46m fee and acquired Pascal Struijk from Leeds United, while Aston Villa added Johan Manzambi from Freiburg for £59.5m.