Improved Cottagers will provide tough Amex test

Chris Hughton’s side had to come from behind to earn a point in the Friday night clash, with Nathan Baker putting the Villans ahead after 20 minutes.

Glenn Murray equalised for Albion near the end of the first half with his tenth goal of the season, and the Seagulls had to withstand surmounting pressure from the visitors in the final 45 minutes. Jonathan Kodjia went closest to winning it for Villa, hitting the crossbar with a header on 76 minutes.

While they remain unbeaten in 11 games, third-placed Reading have closed the gap between them and Albion in second to four points. Hughton will want his side to avoid letting that gap get any narrower this weekend, as they square off with a Cottagers side who look to have come on leaps and bounds since being thrashed 5-0 at the Amex in April.

Having finished 20th in the league last season, an overhaul of the squad in the summer from manager Slavisa Jokanovic has seen the West London club competing at the other end of the table so far in the current campaign, sitting two points off the top six in eighth place.

One of the players who moved to Craven Cottage in the summer that Albion fans will be all too aware of is Chris Martin.

The 28-year old has four goals to his name so far this season and scored seven goals in seven appearances against Albion for his former club, Derby.

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