Unai Emery gets best news possible after Premier League announcement ahead of Aston Villa vs Brighton
Aston Villa are gearing up for a big Premier League clash against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Unai Emery’s side are looking to get back to winning ways on Wednesday, after Rayan’s second-half strike saw Bournemouth pick up a 1-1 draw against Villa at the weekend.
The Villans still sit third in the Premier League standings, though they are beginning to feel the pressure of those behind them, with Manchester United now just three points behind.
Aston Villa welcome Brighton to Villa Park on Wednesday, where Villa fell to a 1-0 defeat against Brentford last time out.
Though ahead of the clash, Emery and his side have received a fantastic piece of news regarding the man to take charge of the fixture.
Referee announced for Aston Villa vs Brighton
Villa are winless on home soil since early January, having fallen to defeat against both Everton and Brentford, making Wednesday’s clash evermore crucial.
The Premier League have announced via their website that Peter Bankes will take charge of the fixture, accompanied by Tony Harrington on VAR.
Villa fans felt robbed after the Brentford loss, with a Tammy Abraham equaliser disallowed due to an earlier incident.
Though they will feel confident after the news regarding Bankes, with the hosts unbeaten in their previous five matches with the 43-year-old in charge.
- Aston Villa 2-1 Arsenal (06/12/25)
- Aston Villa 2-0 Tottenham (16/05/25)
- Aston Villa 2-0 Cardiff (28/02/25)
- West Ham 1-1 Aston Villa (26/01/25)
- Aston Villa 2-1 Manchester City (21/12/25)
Bankes has refereed 12 of Villa’s Premier League matches since their promotion in 2019 – only four of which have been lost.
- Read more: ‘Really bad’ Aston Villa star torn to shreds on Match of the Day as Bournemouth footage emerges
Aston Villa boast good record vs Brighton at Villa Park
While hopes of challenging for the title may have been ambitious, Villa are now seemingly out of the race, with league leaders Arsenal sitting nine points ahead with 13 matches to go.
Though the recent run of form has left Emery’s side in a battle for a Champions League spot heading into the season’s crunch point, something that was seen as a given just a month ago.
Villa have a good record against Brighton on home soil, carrying an unbeaten record back to 2020.
Supporters also carry fantastic memories from 2023, when the Villans secured a UEFA Conference League spot on the final day of the campaign thanks to a 2-1 win against the Seagulls.
With Villa picking up just two league wins out of five in 2026, they simply have to get back to winning ways on Wednesday evening, ahead of upcoming league outings against Leeds and Wolves later this month.