Brighton & Hove Albion host Aston Villa in the Championship on Friday.
Aston Villa are unbeaten in five games under new boss Steve Bruce, but the honeymoon is set to end this Friday according to Sky Sports pundit David Prutton.
Villa travel to second-placed Brighton & Hove Albion, who are unbeaten in twice as many games as the Villans.
Prutton, therefore, expects the momentum to continue with the Seagulls, who if they win will draw level on points with leaders Newcastle United.
“I’m leaning towards Brighton because of how well they have done so far this season,” Prutton wrote in his predictions column for Sky Sports.
“I saw them against Bristol City just before the break and they were clinical – if not with a little bit of luck on their side – but also they were very composed.
“Villa have been on the up under Steve Bruce so far, but that could be brought to an end with a Brighton home win.
“2-0.”
The build-up to Friday’s fixture at the Amex Stadium has been dominated by Villa’s alleged pursuit of Brighton assistant manager Colin Calderwood.
The Seagulls announced the Scot’s resignation less than an hour after a report emerged on the Telegraph‘s website, which claimed that Calderwood was the Villans’ first choice candidate to become Bruce’s right-hand man.
Calderwood, who ends his seven-year spell as Chris Hughton’s number two at various clubs, played for Villa between 1999 and 2000.
The Villa Park outfit have also been linked with a move for Brighton midfielder Beram Kayal in January.
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