Brentford 0-1 Aston Villa: Ollie Watkins returns to haunt his former club as Unai Emery’s side secure vital victory in pursuit of Champions League place

the title race all but done and the relegation battle increasingly looking like a formality, the race for Europe is where the storylines are forming towards the latter stages of this Premier League campaign.

For Aston Villa, playing European football has taken its toll this season with Unai Emery’s side failing to win any of their previous seven games that came after a Champions League fixture.

Here at Brentford, they put an end to that dreadful statistic with a hard-fought victory that took them up to 7th and just two points behind Manchester City in fourth.

Villa had to make do without the injured Emiliano Martinez, so in came Robin Olsen for his first Premier League start of the season while in-form man Marco Asensio was out too. Emery insisted after that both weren’t in the squad to ‘avoid risk’.

But it was a familiar face in Ollie Watkins, who provided the decisive moment with his 13th Premier League goal of the season at the place he once called home.

‘We are now not going to play for 25 days in the Premier League so this was important for our confidence and belief,’ said Emery. ‘Robin Olsen and the back four did a fantastic job.’ 

Ollie Watkins scored four minutes after the restart on his return to the West London club

Marcus Rashford came on during the second half to put in another lively cameo in a Villa shirt

Meanwhile, Thomas Frank’s Brentford were left to bemoan a couple of non-penalty decisions that didn’t go their way in the second half involving Axel Disasi and Kevin Schade.

‘I’m sure the first penalty is clear. Disasi’s taken him out. The second one is soft but Disasi’s still gone through the back of him. Anywhere else on the pitch, you can’t do that,’ complained Frank.

In a drab first half, Villa had the best chance when Youri Tielemans’ wonderful delivery picked out an unmarked Tyrone Mings, who made the perfect run but hit the ball straight at Mark Flecken.

Given that this ground has seen more Premier League goals than any other ground this season, a goal was inevitable after the break and four minutes into the second half, the deadlock was broken.

From a lethal Villa counter, Ramsey found Watkins down the left flank, who silenced the boos with a right-footed strike.

For Watkins, it was a sixth goal in six games against the club he spent three years at, since leaving west London for Birmingham in 2020.

A minute later, he turned provider, setting up Morgan Rogers but Villa’s celebrations were cut short as VAR showed that Watkins was offside in the build up.

That decision seemed to light a spark in Brentford, who upped the ante with Keane Lewis-Potter’s effort hitting the post, before the first of the two penalty shouts.

The Premier League stated on X that because Matty Cash had played the ball before the coming together between Disasi and Schade, the referee’s call of no penalty was checked and confirmed.

Morgan Rogers thought he scored Villa’s second but saw his goal ruled out by VAR for offside

Villa managed to hold off Brentford pressure to secure a vital win in the race for Europe

Unai Emery’s side are now just a point away from Manchester City who sit in fourth place

‘I understand that but you can’t take a player out,’ said Frank.

Emery disagreed, insisting that it was ‘clearly not a penalty for Brentford.

The home side had another appeal waved away when Disasi made contact with Schade in the box but VAR deemed the contact was minimal.

And Villa held on for their third win in a row in all competitions and a clean sheet that will no doubt boost their confidence ahead of the return leg against Club Brugge, where a place in the Champions League last eight awaits.

For Brentford, having won seven of their first eight Premier League home games this season, they are now winless in their last seven at home. Hardly the kind of form if you want to be in the European places come May.