Brighton host Aston Villa at the Amex Stadium, Falmer, on Sunday 23 August in one of the standout fixtures of the Premier League's opening weekend for the 2026/27 season. Kick-off is at 2:00pm BST (9:00am ET / 11:00pm AEST).

In the UK, the match is live on Sky Sports Premier League. Viewers in the United States can stream it on Peacock, while fans in Australia have Stan Sport as their destination. Peacock subscriptions start at $12.99 per month, and Stan Sport has introduced a Basic with Ads plan at AU$29.99 per month for 2026/27.

Brighton's summer rebuild

Manager Fabian Hurzeler heads into his second full season on the south coast having overseen a significant squad overhaul. Brighton secured European football on the final day of last season and are expected to compete in the UEFA Conference League this term.

Arrivals include Pascal Struijk from Leeds United, Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham Hotspur in a club-record deal, Zadok Yohana from AIK, and right-back Costinha, 26, from Olympiacos. On the other side of the ledger, Brighton have lost Jan Paul van Hecke to Tottenham Hotspur, Danny Welbeck to Chelsea, and Joël Veltman to West Ham United. Balancing European commitments with domestic ambitions will be a considerable challenge for Hurzeler's side.

Aston Villa count the cost of departures

Unai Emery's Aston Villa go into the new campaign carrying Champions League ambitions but a noticeably reshaped squad. The club lost Morgan Rogers to Chelsea, Youri Tielemans to Manchester United, and Ezri Konsa to Arsenal over the summer — three exits that have stripped depth, particularly in midfield.

Emery has brought in Alejandro Garnacho, Johan Manzambi, and João Gomes to reinforce the group. Reports also suggest that Japan international goalkeeper Zion Suzuki has arrived to fill the void left by Emi Martínez's departure. With the UEFA Champions League adding yet more fixture congestion, Villa's squad will face a real endurance test across the season.

Prediction

Both sides carry quality but also question marks heading into this encounter. FourFourTwo predict a 2-2 draw — a fitting, open spectacle for the opening weekend.