Aston Villa confirmed team as Steven Gerrard drops Buendia while Konsa & Watkins return vs Brighton

Steven Gerrard has named his all-important Aston Villa starting line-up for this afternoon's showdown with Brighton as Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins both come back into the XI for Calum Chambers and Emi Buendia respectively.

Gerrard's Villa are on a wretched run of just one victory in their last eight matches, losing five in that time which includes back-to-back defeats to Newcastle and, last week, Watford.

Speaking to on Friday, Gerrard said: "No one in this group likes to be beat, no one likes to see our recent results. They’re all positive in wanting to change that.

“We move forward, we have to persevere and we have to keep trying to improve these players. We knew coming into this job that this was going to take time to get right.

“What I will say about my players is that everyone’s trying to pull in the same direction to change the results.”

To the line-up and Konsa, back from his two-game suspension, replaced Chambers in a like-for-like change at the back while, in attack, Watkins is in for Buendia in a surprise change.

From front it back it'll be Emi Martinez playing behind a back four of Matty Cash, Konsa, Tyrone Mings and Lucas Digne.

Ahead of the defence, it's the same again with John McGinn, Douglas Luiz and Jacob Ramsey while, in attack, Watkins and Philippe Coutinho will support Danny Ings.

Here's your Villa line-up ahead of the 3pm kick-off.

Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; McGinn, Douglas Luiz, J.Ramsey; Watkins, Ings, Coutinho.

Olsen, Hause, Sanson, A.Young, O'Reilly, Bailey, Buendia, Chambers, Iroegbunam.