Ollie Watkins scored the only goal of the game as Aston Villa secured a 1-0 victory over Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, strengthening their push for European qualification. Watkins, consistently booed by the home fans after celebrating a late winner in this fixture last season, found the net in the 49th minute with a deflected shot.
The win, only Villa’s second in their last eight league games, lifts them to seventh in the Premier League table with 45 points from 29 matches, two points behind fourth-placed Manchester City, who have a game in hand. The victory also only their second in nine games, following a midweek match.
Aston Villa were the better side in the first half, although they created few clear-cut chances. Captain John McGinn was indebted to Youri Tielemans for preventing a goal after being dispossessed in his own box, and Tyrone Mings missed Villa’s best opportunity before the break, shooting weakly at Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken. Ethan Pinnock was fortunate to see his block from a Tielemans header spin over the bar. Brentford’s Yoane Wissa had a goal disallowed for a clear offside.
Watkins’ decisive goal came four minutes into the second half. His shot took a deflection off Nathan Collins and beat Flekken. Watkins thought he had assisted a second goal shortly after, setting up Morgan Rogers, but the goal was disallowed for a marginal offside.
Brentford rallied after the disallowed goal. Keane Lewis-Potter hit the post, and the home side had strong penalty appeals waved away when Axel Disasi slipped and brought down Kevin Schade inside the box. Referee Jarred Gillett was unmoved, and VAR did not intervene.
Lewis-Potter felt it was a penalty. “He clears him out. I have spoken to lads who have seen it back and it is a pen. VAR need to check that.” Brentford manager agreed, “Disasi’s clearly taken him (Schade) out.”. However, Villa boss Unai Emery said, it was “clearly not a penalty”
Brentford had another penalty appeal when Schade went down easily.
Villa, with goalkeeper Robin Olsen making his first league start of the season in place of the injured Emiliano Martinez, withstood late pressure to secure a crucial three points. Emery hailed Olsen. “”To be a substitute for Emiliano Martinez, the best goalkeeper in the world, is not easy,”.
The defeat leaves Brentford in 12th place with 38 points from 28 games, their hopes of European qualification fading. They are now winless in seven home games. Brentford manager lamented their luck, “I think we performed more than enough to get more of the game than we did,”.
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