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Attendance: 32,856
Aston Villa logo
Championship
May 7, 2017 at 12pm UK
 
Brighton logo

1-1

Grealish (89')
Baker (63')
FT(HT: 0-0)
Murray (64' pen.)

Team News: Five changes for Brighton & Hove Albion

Chris Hughton makes five changes for Brighton & Hove Albion's trip to Aston Villa.

Chris Hughton has made five changes for Brighton & Hove Albion's trip to Aston Villa this afternoon as he looks to wrap up the Championship title.

Having already confirmed their promotion to the Premier League, the Seagulls suffered a surprise 1-0 home defeat to Bristol City last weekend, allowing Newcastle United the opportunity to end today top of the pile.

After seven games out with a problematic glute, Sam Baldock returns to the starting XI today, replacing Tomer Hemed as partner for Glenn Murray up front.

There are two changes in the midfield as Steve Sidwell and Jamie Murphy join Anthony Knockaert and Dale Stephens, with Beram Kayal and Jiri Skalak dropping to the bench.

There are also two changes in the back four, with Sebastien Pocognoli replacing Gaetan Bong at left-back and Chelsea loanee Fikayo Tomori coming in for Uwe Hunemeier as partner for Lewis Dunk in the heart of the defence.

Bruno continues to operate on the right, ahead of stopper David Stockdale, who has been linked with a move to Chelsea this summer.

For Villa, Steve Bruce makes three changes to the side that handed Blackburn Rovers a relegation lifeline with a 1-0 defeat last time out.

Top scorer Jonathan Kodjia suffered a broken ankle against Rovers and is replaced up front by Albert Adomah, who will partner Scott Hogan in the usual 4-4-2 formation.

The middle of the field is populated by Henri Lansbury, Conor Hourihane, Jordan Amavi - in for Gary Gardner - and Henri Lansbury, while James Bree replaces Alan Hutton at right-back.

James Chester and Nathan Baker continue their partnership in the heart of the defence, with Neil Taylor at left-back and Sam Johnstone in goal in his final Villa appearance before returning to Manchester United.

Mile Jedinak is absent from the matchday squad due to a niggle with his groin, while Jack Grealish is among Bruce's options on the bench.

Aston Villa: Johnstone; Bree, Chester, Baker, Taylor; Lansbury, Hourihane, Amavi, Bacuna; Adomah, Hogan
Subs: Bunn, Richards, Elphick, Gardner, O'Hare, Davis, Grealish

Brighton & Hove Albion: Stockdale; Bruno, Dunk, Tomori, Pocognoli; Knockaert, Sidwell, Stephens, Murphy; Baldock, Murray
Subs: Maenpaa, Bong, Rosenior, Kayal, Skalak, March, Hemed

Keep up with every twist and turn of the final day's action in the Championship with Sports Mole's full coverage here.

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Jordan Amavi of Aston Villa looks on during the pre season friendly between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa at Molineux on July 28, 2015
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