After defeating Manchester City and Arsenal and shaking up the Premier League title race, Aston Villa wondered if they could maintain their own push for the top spot. However, Brentford put a stop to their momentum as Thomas Frank’s team limited their offensive prowess and scored a goal from Keane Lewis-Potter. Despite being down to 10 players after Ben Mee received a straight red card, they were unable to withstand Villa’s strong attacks.
Aston Villa may finally win against Brentford for the first time since February 1953, the same week that Disney premiered the original Peter Pan animated film. Even after 70 years, a potential title challenge for Villa in the 21st century is far from a fairytale, as evidenced by the aggressive and intense gameplay, including intense celebrations after Ollie Watkins’ winning goal. The match ended with a scuffle, resulting in Boubacar Kamara’s dismissal after Emi Martínez tackled Neal Maupay to the ground and both teams joined in.
Brentford is facing a lot of injuries and it is especially concerning that Bryan Mbeumo will be out until after the Africa Cup of Nations. However, one of manager Frank’s greatest strengths is his ability to bounce back from challenges. He takes particular pleasure in defeating clubs with lofty goals, but their recent match against Aston Villa, which initially seemed like a triumph, ended up being their fifth loss in six games. Prior to Mee’s ejection, it appeared that Villa, despite their progress this season, may have weaknesses in their bench.
Leon Bailey, who played exceptionally well against both City and Arsenal, was unable to start due to fitness concerns. Additionally, two players who had played in every previous match, Douglas Luiz and Lucas Digne, were unavailable due to suspension. From the start of the game, Brentford, known for their aggressive playing style, were limited to their own defensive third as Villa pressed hard. This created opportunities for Brentford to launch counterattacks, but a fantastic save from Martínez on a shot from Mikkel Damsgaard prevented them from taking an early lead. Brentford also had a potential penalty denied when John McGinn appeared to bring down Mee in the box, foreshadowing the later physical altercations between the two teams.
Villa’s defensive strategy of playing high up the field encourages opponents to attempt long passes, like the one that Yoane Wissa chased beyond Ezri Konsa. Unfortunately, Wissa’s touch was too heavy and the opportunity was lost. This seemed to make Villa hesitant, but they still managed to create chances, such as when Matty Cash found space at the far post. Ollie Watkins, who used to play for the opposing team and was being jeered by the home crowd, was being well contained by the defense led by Ben Mee. However, Konsa’s diagonal pass allowed Watkins to nod the ball into the path of Jacob Ramsey. Ramsey arrived at the ball too quickly to make a composed finish.
Both squads were trying to lure their opponent into giving up space, creating scoring opportunities, a common strategy seen in the modern Premier League. However, it was Brentford who had more players staying back on defense. In the stands, Ivan Toney must have been considering how he could take advantage of Aston Villa’s defense, which was giving him plenty of opportunities. When playing away from home, Aston Villa’s errors have been more damaging compared to when they play at their home stadium, Villa Park.
At the end of the first half, Lewis-Potter capitalized on the carelessness that can occur when taking risky actions. The ball bounced around between Kamara, Watkins, and a struggling Alex Moreno before the ex-Hull player waited for Saman Ghoddos’ corner to come to him and scored his first Premier League goal.
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In the second half, Villa continuously attacked the retrenched Brentford defense. Emery, dressed in black, was visibly stressed on the sidelines. Surprisingly, it was Wissa who had the best opportunity within the first 20 minutes, but Martínez made another impressive save. This set the stage for the turning point of the game in Villa’s favor. After making a double substitution, Frank had to make changes to his defense when Mee received a red card through VAR. Mee’s tackle on Bailey, who had just entered the game, was a tactical move to prevent him from getting past and it resulted in a high tackle that raked into Bailey’s shins.
Frank became even angrier when Maupay, who had just joined the team, appeared to be obstructed by Konsa. However, neither the referee, David Coote, nor the VAR, Craig Pawson, considered the challenge worthy of a penalty.
Bailey was the one responsible for bringing Villa back into the game. He skillfully chipped the ball to Moreno at the back post, who then headed it in. As tensions rose on the sidelines, Frank became upset with Austin McPhee, Villa’s set-piece coach. The fact that their winning goal came from a corner only added to the frustration. This time, Ramsey was the one who took the corner and Kamara’s back-heel pass found Watkins, who headed it in and celebrated in front of the ecstatic fans. However, things took a turn when a scuffle broke out on the goalline. Despite the bad-tempered atmosphere, Villa’s dream of victory lives on.
Source: theguardian.com
