Brighton v Aston Villa Pre-Match Thread

[AV82EC]

They're a decent team but they're very reliant on Gomez, I think I'd play Onana in this one to help us box the midfield.

I'd bring him in for Buendia and let Tielemans play a little further forward and push Rogers to the left. Now we've given Malen a start I think we need to stick with him for a few and because I want the extra man in thge middle that would be my only change. If it isn't working I'd look to get Watkins on fairly early to play alongside Malen.

I was thinking yesterday that maybe an extra body in midfield may have offered us more control  than we got. I suppose it’s the balance between being secure in our defensive shape and then offering something going forwards so we don’t look blunt in attack.

[Hookeysmith]

I think this game is geared up perfectly for Rogers to have a stormer right through the middle of the park

Same starting team as Sunday with bringing Watkins, Onana on when  / if required

[paul_e]

They're a decent team but they're very reliant on Gomez, I think I'd play Onana in this one to help us box the midfield.

I'd bring him in for Buendia and let Tielemans play a little further forward and push Rogers to the left. Now we've given Malen a start I think we need to stick with him for a few and because I want the extra man in thge middle that would be my only change. If it isn't working I'd look to get Watkins on fairly early to play alongside Malen.

I was thinking yesterday that maybe an extra body in midfield may have offered us more control  than we got. I suppose it’s the balance between being secure in our defensive shape and then offering something going forwards so we don’t look blunt in attack.

Yep, I'm normally ok with us being, broadly, a 4231 but sometimes pushing that 10 a little deeper to add a body in midfield might help without making us too narrow. My only criticism of Emery at all is that sometimes we get a bit clumped up in midfield and make ourselves a little too easy to mark. With the squad we have I'd even like to see Watkins and Malen both play (with Rogers at 10) and push them out a little wider so we don't really have a 9 but instead 3 players who all have the option to rift into there or drift elsewhere to find space and move defenders.