Aston Villa take on Brighton & Hove Albion in a friendly match in United Arab Emirates on Thursday, with both teams preparing for their return to action after the end of the World Cup later this month.
The two sides met in the last weekend of Premier League football prior to the break, with Villa running out 2-1 winners at the Amex Stadium.
Match preview
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Indeed, a Danny Ings double that day helped Unai Emery claim his second win from his two league games in the managerial dugout after replacing Steven Gerrard as manager in late October.
The former Sevilla and Arsenal boss has noticeably introduced a higher defensive line since assuming control, with Villa catching Manchester United and Brighton offside on three occasions each on their way to gaining crucial victories.
Emery, who won the Europa League with Villarreal before taking the Yellow Submarines to the Champions League semi-final the following season in his previous role, clearly wants to keep his squad attuned to the demands of regular football, with friendlies against Cardiff City, Brighton, Chelsea and his former side Villarreal all booked in prior to their Premier League match against Liverpool on Boxing Day.
Cardiff ran out surprise 3-1 winners last Wednesday, so the 51-year-old will be hoping for a much better performance and result against the Seagulls in UAE on Thursday.
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Brighton, of course, have changed managers themselves this season, too, with former Sassuolo boss Roberto De Zerbi replacing Graham Potter after the Englishman accepted the Chelsea job in early September.
De Zerbi has kept the Seagulls competitive despite mixed results overall, with his new side sitting in seventh position during the break for the World Cup.
Their defeat to Villa last time out was a disappointment having beaten Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers in their previous two league games - as well as overcoming Premier League leaders Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in the EFL Cup - but De Zerbi's general style of play is undoubtedly easy on the eye.
After being drawn away to Charlton Athletic in their first game back after the World Cup, the 43-year-old may well have his sights set on taking Brighton one step closer to securing their first ever piece of major silverware, before they travel along the South coast to face struggling Southampton on Boxing Day.
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Aston Villa will be without their first-choice goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who will almost certainly be starting for Argentina against Netherlands in Qatar on Friday, while Matty Cash and Leander Dendoncker are unlikely to feature until the return of competitive action after their exploits with Poland and Belgium respectively.
Philippe Coutinho, who was not selected for Brazil at the World Cup, could be missing until late December with a thigh injury, but Emery should otherwise have a full squad to select from.
Brighton, meanwhile, will travel without several players due to World Cup involvements, with midfielder Alexis Mac Allister likely to start for Argentina in their quarter-final clash against Netherlands on Friday.
Tariq Lamptey, Leandro Trossard, Jeremy Sarmiento, Kaoru Mitoma, Moises Caicedo, Robert Sanchez and Pervis Estupinan have all been knocked out but may be rested until the return of competitive action, potentially leaving De Zerbi massively short of options, especially with Adam Lallana and Jakub Moder both absent through injury.
Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Olsen; Young, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Ramsey, Luiz, McGinn; Bailey, Ings, Watkins
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Steele; Webster, Dunk, Colwill; Veltman, Gross, Gilmour, March; Enciso, Undav, Welbeck
We say: Aston Villa 2-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton's team is likely due to be significantly weaker having had far more players involved at the World Cup, meaning that Villa should be able to bounce back from falling to Cardiff with a win.
The Villans ran out 2-1 winners last month when both teams were at full strength, so Emery will be confident of notching another morale-boosting victory.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Brett Curtis
