Brightonvs.Aston Villa

The Seagulls have taken three points from their two matches, while the visitors have had to settle for one point from the first two matchdays.

Match preview

Former Melbourne City Women head coach Dario Vidosic has seen his first two WSL games as Brighton manager produce one win and one defeat.

Vidosic began his tenure with a resounding 4-0 home win against Everton which came courtesy of a hat-trick from WSL debutant Kiko Seike.

Brighton then produced a battling display in last Sunday's away clash with Manchester City, but they were left with nothing to show for their efforts as Khadija Shaw's first-half effort proved to be the difference between the two sides.

The South Coast side bounced back from that disappointment to record a commanding win in their first match of the Women's League Cup, with Guro Bergsvand, Maisie Symonds and Fran Kirby all getting on the scoresheet of a 3-0 victory over second-tier Birmingham City.

Brighton will now turn their focus to a meeting with Birmingham's local rivals Aston Villa, and after beating Everton on matchday one, the Seagulls have the chance to clinch back-to-back home league wins for the first time since April/May 2023.

Ex-Bayer Leverkusen boss Robert de Pauw has been unable to win either of his first two WSL matches as Aston Villa manager.

The Villans fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat in their opening game against reigning WSL champions Chelsea, before they played out a 2-2 draw in last Sunday's home clash with Tottenham Hotspur.

Villa looked set to snatch all three points after they fought back from a goal down to establish a 2-1 lead thanks to Adriana Leon's equaliser and Rachel Daly's 88th-minute effort.

However, Bethany England netted a dramatic equaliser in the sixth minute of stoppage time to deny Villa all three points.

While De Pauw is waiting for his first WSL win, he did oversee his first win as Villa boss in Wednesday's League Cup game against Crystal Palace, with Kirsty Hanson and Katie Robinson grabbing a goal apiece in a 2-0 victory.

Brighton & Hove Albion Women Women's Super League form:

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Brighton & Hove Albion Women form (all competitions):

Aston Villa Women Women's Super League form:

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Aston Villa Women form (all competitions):

Team News

After claiming three points in the League Cup group stage, Villa will now turn their focus to Sunday's WSL fixture where they will attempt to continue their recent record against Brighton, having won their last three league meetings.

Vidosic is set to make several changes to his Brighton side after rotating his squad for the League Cup win over Everton.

Sophie Baggaley, Maria Thorisdottir, Vicky Losada and Kirby are among those who could be restored to the starting lineup.

After leading the line in midweek, Nikita Parris may also be considered for her first league start since arriving from Manchester United in the summer.

Meanwhile, the visitors remain without the injured trio of Jill Baijings, Anna Leat and Georgia Mullett.

After rotating his side in midweek, De Pauw may decide to revert back to the lineup that started the draw with Tottenham last weekend.

Summer signing Gabi Nunes is set to provide an option off the bench after making her debut in Wednesday's League Cup match.

Brighton & Hove Albion Women possible starting lineup:

Baggaley; Thorisdottir, Bergsvand, Carabali; Kirby, Losada, Olislagers, Pattinson; Seike, Vilamala, Parris

Aston Villa Women possible starting lineup:

D'Angelo; Maritz, Patten, Parker, Tomas; Hanson, Nobbs; Grant, Kearns, Dali; Daly

We say: Brighton & Hove Albion Women 2-1 Aston Villa Women

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