Ollie Watkins celebrates with his Aston Villa team mates after scoring. Photograph: John Walton/PA
Match report
Here’s John Brewin’s verdict from the Gtech:
Here’s Unai Emery: “Three points [against] a team four points behind us, fighting for Europe. To get the three points is fantastic – we don’t play in the Premier League again for 25 days (against Brighton).
“To keep a clean sheet is fantastic, and we are happy now, but we have to start getting ready for Club Brugge. Last year, we achieved fourth position, but to reclaim it this year, with Champions League, FA Cup – it’s very difficult.”
Some post-game thoughts from Axel Disasi, the official player of the match: “Today, I think we deserved the three points, we saw all the character of the team [after scoring], we wanted to keep a clean sheet.
“We haven’t been consistent in the league, we were hungry and we wanted to correct it. I feel good, so I’m happy.” He adds that the award is “a nice gift – it’s my birthday on Tuesday.”
I feel bad for saying it now, but given that Disasi was caught up in two potential penalty calls, I’d have given the nod to Tyrone Mings, who didn’t really put a foot wrong.
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Next up in your super Saturday football buffet – it’s Wolves v Everton, with Dominic Booth.
That was a much better second half after a lukewarm first 45 minutes. Villa will gain confidence from keeping their hosts out, even if they looked fragile at times; Brentford could have used another attacking option off the bench to keep up the pressure in the last few minutes.
Victory moves Villa up to seventh in the table, albeit having played more games than those around them.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 29 | 42 | 70 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 27 | 28 | 54 |
| 3 | Nottm Forest | 28 | 12 | 51 |
| 4 | Man City | 28 | 15 | 47 |
| 5 | Chelsea | 27 | 16 | 46 |
| 6 | Brighton | 28 | 6 | 46 |
| 7 | Aston Villa | 29 | -4 | 45 |
| 8 | Newcastle | 27 | 8 | 44 |
| 9 | AFC Bournemouth | 27 | 13 | 43 |
| 10 | Fulham | 28 | 3 | 42 |
| 11 | Crystal Palace | 28 | 3 | 39 |
| 12 | Brentford | 28 | 4 | 38 |
| 13 | Tottenham Hotspur | 27 | 14 | 33 |
| 14 | Man Utd | 27 | -6 | 33 |
| 15 | West Ham | 27 | -15 | 33 |
| 16 | Everton | 27 | -4 | 32 |
| 17 | Wolverhampton | 27 | -19 | 22 |
| 18 | Ipswich | 28 | -32 | 17 |
| 19 | Leicester | 27 | -36 | 17 |
| 20 | Southampton | 28 | -48 | 9 |
Full time: Brentford 0-1 Aston Villa
It was a real battle, but Aston Villa have held on for victory – Ollie Watkins getting the winner against his former club to earn Villa a welcome away win, and end their run of league failures after Champions League games.
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94 mins: Schade gets down the left and plays it to Wissa, who is muscled off the ball by two Villa players. Collins goes skidding in on Tielemans to try and win the ball, and is booked. Villa players aren’t happy – it was certainly a heavy challenge.
93 mins: Donyell Malen is on, replacing Morgan Rogers. Mbeumo’s cross is too high for Yoann Wissa, and Olsen claims it. It’s not been pretty, but Villa are almost there.
92 mins: Lewis-Potter’s header from the byline back across goal is cleared by Disasi, at the cost of a corner. For the hosts, Kim Ji-soo replaces Ajer and heads into the mixer. Angled in towards Norgaard at the near post, it hits a Villa player and runs across the face of goal – but nobody in red and white is there to turn it in!
90 mins: Kamara overcooks an attempted pass to Cash, who throws his arms up in frustration.
89 mins: Olsen confidently claims a deep Damsgaard cross. There will be five added minutes.
88 mins: Mbeumo can’t quite bring a floating long ball under his control, and it trickles out for a throw in. Both managers planning late changes as we approach the 90-minute mark.
86 mins: A Brentford cross is cleared and Rogers wins the ball off Damsgaard … and plays in Watkins, who is free and clear! A golden chance to seal victory … but he opts for an underhit chip, which Flekken reads, standing tall and claiming the ball.
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85 mins: Tielemans launches a long free kick towards Mings, who can’t connect but gets involved to help out Rashford, struggling against the bendy-legged Wissa down by the corner flag. Brentford clear their lines, but another few seconds shaved off the clock …
83 mins: Disasi again clears away to try and keep Olsen out of trouble, and there’s more uncertainty from the throw in. It’s flicked on at the near post and missed by the keeper, rolling loose for a second before being pinballed around the box. Eventually, Norgaard crashes a volley wide of the far post. Phew!
82 mins: Brentford get forward again and Wissa lays the ball off for Schade, who tests Olsen’s reflexes with a shot that the keeper palms away at his near post.
81 mins: Matty Cash takes too long to launch the long throw, and is booked for time wasting. He still takes a good few seconds to hurl it in, from which Watkins sends a snap-shot wide on the turn.
80 mins: The corner is cleared, but Disasi wins a throw-in off Schade, those two renewing hostilities at the other end of the pitch.
79 mins: Rogers combines with Watkins, whose shot is closed down and loops high over the bar. Villa corner.
78 mins: The battle between Schade and Disasi intensifies, the Brentford winger going down under contact from the Villa right-back. Gillett takes a second or two, but decides there’s not enough to give a penalty – and VAR agrees.
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76 mins: Digne takes the ball off Mbeumo and threatens to break away, but Ajer gets across to clear. Villa have not offered much at all going forward since Rogers’ goal was ruled out.
75 mins: Brentford make their first change, with the returning Matias Jensen on for Janelt in midfield.
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74 mins: Wissa looks to have clipped the ball beyond the stumbling Konsa, but is penalised for fouling the Villa defender.
72 mins: Mings and Konsa repel two aerial assaults in quick succession, before an errant pass saps some of Brentford’s attacking momentum. Unai Emery looks stressed on the touchline, and understandably so.
70 mins: Brentford hit the post! Wissa shows terrific close control again, this time laying the ball back to Lewis-Potter – whose shot through a thicket of legs crashes off the near post! Olsen wasn’t getting close to that.
69 mins: Wissa does brilliantly to bring down Lewis-Potter’s long ball under pressure from two big centre-backs. He flicks it through to Schade, but Disasi is there to deny him again.
67 mins: Brentford, particularly on home turf, are a horrible team to try and hold on to a one-goal lead against. There are signs of defensive nerves again as from Mbeumo’s cross draws Olsen off his line, but Disasi heads it away.
65 mins: Ajer is booked for a hefty challenge on Ramsey in midfield. That’s Ramsey’s last action of the game – he’s being replaced by Marcus Rashford.
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“Both managers have a suspicious absence of grey hair, but so do I! Well, the 50% or so that’s left,” writes Gary Naylor. 50%? There’s no need to brag, Gary.
64 mins: Schade burrows his way through the Villa backline at the near post, and is knocked off his feet by Disasi. No penalty, just a corner, and VAR confirms the referee’s decision.
63 mins: At the other end, Tielemans sprays the ball out wide to Ramsay, who misses the chance to play in Rogers as he overhits his through ball.
62 mins: Mings does well to read the flight of a long ball with Wissa snapping at his heels – he’s been very assured so far.
60 mins: Another Villa change, as the booked McGinn is replaced by Boubakar Kamara. Olsen clears downfield and still doesn’t look comfortable.
59 mins: From the corner, Damsgaard plays a long one-two with Janelt and whips the ball into the danger zone. Olsen claims it, but again winces and holds his lower back after doing so.
58 mins: Without Leon Bailey to worry about, Lewis-Potter gets forward down the left – but his cross is cut out by the motoring Disasi, who then celebrates his interception with gusto.
57 mins: Schade moves forward with options left and right, but a nervy touch reduces those options and by the time he plays it right to Mbeumo, he is well marked.
56 mins: This is a big test of Villa’s resolve, both away from home and after a European assignment. The two-goal cushion felt like a big confidence boost, but now that’s gone and Brentford are coming at them.
54 mins: Mbeumo runs at Mings, who can only deflect the Brentford man’s cross towards the near post, where Konsa hoofs it clear. Rogers draws a cheap foul from Janelt to alleviate the pressure.
53 mins: Brentford need to respond and Yoann Wissa, their biggest attacking threat so far, almost does so with a clever back-header from Damsgaard’s corner – but it zips over the bar.
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NO GOAL! Watkins immediately gets free down the left again, this time racing to the byline and cutting back for Morgan Rogers, who lashes the ball into the roof of the net. But wait – there’s an offside check against Watkins, whose kneecap was beyond the last defender. A big let-off for Brentford!
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Watkins offers the standard non-celebration after his sixth goal for Villa against his former club. And moments later, the visitors are pouring forward again …
GOAL! Brentford 0-1 Aston Villa (Watkins 48')
Ollie Watkins, a virtual spectator in the first half, picks it up on the left, cuts inside – and his shot deflects off Nathan Collins’ shin and zips through Flekken’s legs!
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47 mins: Mings heads a cross away and Villa get the chance to break away as Tielemans finds Ramsey …
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46 mins: Wissa immediately makes a nuisance of himself again under a long pass, but Villa are able to keep him off the ball and return it to Olsen, who seems to have shaken off that back issue.
Peep!
The second half is under way. Villa are making a change, but it’s Matty Cash coming on for Leon Bailey.
Unlike the managers’ respective lids, there has been a lack of ebb and flow to this game. Both teams have looked most likely to strike on a quick counter or set piece. Could Marcus Rashford make a difference off the bench? Let’s see.
Peter Oh’s thoughts on the first half: “There’s not much between these two. Both are flowing and stylish, but Unai Emery’s hair is gelled and regimented – think early 80s Miami Vice – while Thomas Frank’s is looser and bouncier - early 90s Baywatch.”
Half time: Brentford 0-0 Aston Villa
I think we can all agree that was 46 minutes of football.
46 mins: Mbeumo’s volleyed cross lands to Schade, but he opts to try and trap it rather than head at goal, and Villa snuff out the chance.
45 mins: One minute of added time. More than enough.
43 mins: Mbeumo prods the ball past Tielemans and appears to be obstructed, but Jared G waves play on, much to the home fans’ chagrin.
41 mins: The VAR decides no further action is needed on a potential handball – in the meantime, Wissa nicks the rebound away from Bailey and motors away – with McGinn swinging an arm across to bring him down! He’s booked, and rightly so.
40 mins: Brentford have the full wall plus draft excluder in place, with Villa assembling their own dummy wall in front of it. A lot of faff, and the home fans get restless. Leon Bailey eventually takes it, and fires into the Brentford wall.
39 mins: Rogers, who’s been frustrated by the home defence so far, wins a free kick after a clumsy foul from Janelt. A chance for Villa to test Flekken from 25 yards out.
38 mins: Rogers looks for Digne with a diagonal ball, but the ever-busy Mbeumo is on hand to intercept.
35 mins: Brentford show how quickly they can make something happen, with Mbeumo’s raking pass setting Wissa free – but the flag goes up, and while Wissa tucks the ball past Olsen for good measure, he’s a yard offside.
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33 mins: Yikes! The corner is half-cleared and then returned to the far post by Ramsey. Tielemans heads it down and Pinnock awkwardly toe-ends it over the bar. That could have gone anywhere!
32 mins: Olsen looks to be OK for now, and attention swings to the other end of the field as Tielemans races into the area, his shot from a tight angle parried by Flekken …
30 mins: Lewis-Potter is quick to test the keeper’s flexibility, shooting low from 30 yards out. Olsen is behind it, but still looks in a bit of discomfort. Villa’s backup goalie today is Oliwier Zych, a 20-year-old from Poland who is set to make his competitive debut.
28 mins: We’re back under way and after Tielemans swings a boot at Wissa’s cross, Olsen runs over and clears to prevent a corner. He may wish he hadn’t bothered, as he seems to have twinged his back in doing so …
26 mins: There’s a stoppage in play to allow players observing Ramadan to break their fast. It also gives both coaches the chance to gee their players up after a slowish start to proceedings.
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24 mins: Schade launches a long throw in, which is dealt with at the near post. Brentford get a corner but Villa clear and break away – and Lewis-Potter does well to get across and stop Ramsey, streaking down the left wing, from causing any damage.
22 mins: Keane Lewis-Potter, traditionally a left-winger but playing at left-back recently for Brentford, is doing a decent job of marshalling Leon Bailey so far.
20 mins: McGinn links up with Watkins outside the Brentford area, but the move peters out. At the other end, Wissa is penalised for a frustrated shove after a long pass gets away from him.
18 mins: A lull in any meaningful goalmouth action.
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15 mins: From a deep free kick, Digne swings in a pinpoint delivery and Mings gallops on to it – but he can’t make a clean contact and Flekken smothers his shot. That was Villa’s best chance so far.
13 mins: Villa continue to press, with Disasi’s flick repelled by Flekken before the flag goes up.
12 mins: Villa’s first corner is headed behind by Schade; the second is comfortably claimed by Mark Flekken.
11 mins: Now Jacob Ramsey finds space and looks to curl one beyond Flekken from the edge of the area … but Collins is there again to head it behind for a corner.
9 mins: At the other end, Tielemans tries a low shot on goal from 25 yards, but it’s blocked by Nathan Collins.
8 mins: Another Brentford opening as Damsgaard lifts the ball over the Villa backline to Janelt on the left. Mings intercepts the cross, but the offside flag goes up anyway.
6 mins: Eek! More defensive nerves for Villa, McGinn overplaying in his own penalty area – and a last-ditch Tielemans tackle is required to stop Wissa poking the ball home!
5 mins: Janelt plays a lovely ball down the left towards Kevin Schade, but Disasi is able to prod the ball back to Olsen – who traps the ball and then picks it up! Brentford appeal in vain for a free kick – but Villa get away with it.
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4 mins: Today’s referee, Jared Gillett, penalises John McGinn for a shove in midfield. From the free kick, Brentford go long …
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3 mins: Rogers, playing in the middle of Villa’s three behind Ollie Watkins, tries to find Bailey down the right, but overhits his pass.
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2 mins: Villa are playing the ball around midfield, Brentford scurrying after them and making life difficult.
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Peep!
Villa kick off and play it back to understudy Robin Olsen, who gets an early touch before hoofing it upfield.
The teams are out, with Villa in their navy away kit. Brentford are in red and white stripes, naturally. “Hey Jude” is reverberating around the Gtech. Here we go!
Unai Emery says that Emi Martínez and Marco Asensio were “not feeling comfortable” in training yesterday and are being left out as a precaution. He’s looking for his team to be more consistent and defensively tougher – “we’re conceding more goals recently”.
As for Thomas Frank, he says his “front four are on on fire at the moment. Offensively, we’ve added layers and they are much more of a threat this season.”
Here’s the table as it stands. Palace’s win means Brentford are down to 12th – but if they win today, they’ll only be six points behind City in fourth.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 29 | 42 | 70 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 27 | 28 | 54 |
| 3 | Nottm Forest | 28 | 12 | 51 |
| 4 | Man City | 28 | 15 | 47 |
| 5 | Chelsea | 27 | 16 | 46 |
| 6 | Brighton | 28 | 6 | 46 |
| 7 | Newcastle | 27 | 8 | 44 |
| 8 | AFC Bournemouth | 27 | 13 | 43 |
| 9 | Fulham | 28 | 3 | 42 |
| 10 | Aston Villa | 28 | -5 | 42 |
| 11 | Crystal Palace | 28 | 3 | 39 |
| 12 | Brentford | 27 | 5 | 38 |
| 13 | Tottenham Hotspur | 27 | 14 | 33 |
| 14 | Man Utd | 27 | -6 | 33 |
| 15 | West Ham | 27 | -15 | 33 |
| 16 | Everton | 27 | -4 | 32 |
| 17 | Wolverhampton | 27 | -19 | 22 |
| 18 | Ipswich | 28 | -32 | 17 |
| 19 | Leicester | 27 | -36 | 17 |
| 20 | Southampton | 28 | -48 | 9 |
Premier League 3pm results
Brighton 2-1 Fulham
Crystal Palace 1-0 Ipswich
Liverpool 3-1 Southampton
Liverpool fight back in the second half, Mohamed Salah on target twice as they go sixteen points clear at the top; elsewhere, a late Ismaïla Sarr goal and an even later João Pedro penalty ensured home wins for Palace and Brighton.
No Emiliano Martínez for Aston Villa; Robin Olsen starts in goal instead. Marco Asensio is also not included in the visiting squad, making this game around 50% less interesting for the neutrals. Both players didn’t travel to the Gtech due to injury, it seems. Marcus Rashford is on the Villa bench, with Jacob Ramsey replacing him in the only outfield change to the team that won in Bruges on Tuesday.
For the hosts, Christian Norgaard has recovered from a concussion and replaces Yehor Yarmolyuk in midfield; that’s the only change from Brentford’s last game, which was at home to Everton 10 days ago. Injury problems mean a youthful bench; Yarmolyuk, midfielder Yunus Konak, defender Kim Ji-soo, forward Iwan Morgan and defender Benjamin Frederick are all 21 or younger.
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Team news
Brentford (4-2-3-1): Flekken; Ajer, Collins, Pinnock, Lewis-Potter; Norgaard, Janelt; Mbeumo, Damsgaard, Schade; Wissa.
Subs: Jensen, Valdimarsson, Mee, Yarmolyuk, Konak, Maghoma, Kim, Morgan, Fredrick.
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Olsen; Disasi, Konsa, Mings, Digne; McGinn, Tielemans; Bailey, Rogers, Ramsey; Watkins.
Subs: Zych, Cash, Rashford, Torres, Garcia, Malen, Maatsen, Bogarde, Kamara.
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Join Dominic Booth over here for all the 3pm action …
Preamble
Both of these teams kick off here in mid-table, but still hopeful of achieving greater things in the frenetic race for European places. To make progress today, though, both teams will have to overturn their recent form.
Having won seven of their first eight home games, Brentford are without a victory in their last six – their worst run for almost 20 years. Meanwhile, Aston Villa’s travel troubles are mounting. They have won just one of their last nine away league games, a run that includes four winless visits to the capital.
Unai Emery’s side can at least be encouraged by their recent record against tonight’s opponents. Their home win in December made it five games without defeat against Brentford, having previously failed to beat the Bees in eight games between 2016 and 2022.
On the other hand, Villa haven’t won the league game after a Champions League match since September. Something surely has to give tonight; or we could get a 1-1 draw. Let’s find out.
Kick-off is at 5.30pm, GMT.
