Ninth-placed Brentford will look to end their five-match winless run in the league when they host Unai Emery’s Aston Villa.
Brentford will be eager to return to winning ways when they host Aston Villa. The Bees have had a great season so far but they have been derailed of late. Meanwhile, Villa have been on a winning streak. They have been doing wonders under Unai Emery, and they will look to continue in similar fashion when they face Brentford.
The Bees’ recent form has been a cause for concern, they have lost their last three Premier League games. And, they have slipped down to ninth place on the table, with their hopes for a top-half finish seemingly in jeopardy.
Their recent defeats have highlighted their defensive frailties, with the team keeping only one clean sheet in their last ten league games. However, Brentford is still only one win away from matching their final points total from last season, which provides a glimmer of hope for their fans.
Brentford will face Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon, hoping to end their recent run of defeats. The Bees have a good home record against Villa, having won each of their last four home games against the Birmingham side.
Moreover, they have only failed to score in two of their last 17 Premier League home fixtures, finding the net in each of their last nine. This could give Thomas Frank’s men the confidence they need to challenge Villa and potentially get a win at home.
However, Villa have been in impressive form recently, winning seven of their last eight matches, keeping six clean sheets and conceding just twice during that run. They have emerged as genuine European contenders, surging into the top six of the Premier League table.
The Villans have won six of eight away games under Unai Emery in the league, and they can travel to the Gtech Community Stadium with confidence. With the prospect of maintaining their top-six place, Villa will be motivated to put up a good performance and potentially extend their winning streak.
Unai Emery has been sensational since taking charge of Villa, and he will eager to make it six wins in a row in the league when they hit the road to square up against Brentford. Both teams will be eager to come out on top when they square up against each other. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at this fixture and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Brentford
The Bees will be without the services of Kristoffer Ajer, Keane Lewis-Potter, and Pontus Jansson. Jansson has been ruled of the ongoing season.
🌠 A beauty from Wissa on Villa's last visit pic.twitter.com/VtRtpGXZLY
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) April 21, 2023
Apart from the trio, Thomas Frank should have all other players should be available for selection. While there are talks of him shifting to back three in search of returning to winning ways, Frank is expected to still go ahead with the 4-3-3 formation.
David Raya is expected to start in goal. Aaron Hickey and Rico Henry will start out wide as the full-backs. Meanwhile, Ben Mee and Ethan Pinnock should start in the heart of the defence.
Mikkel Damsgaard, Christian Norgaard and Mathias Jensen will form the midfield three. They will look to control the flow of the game and keep the dangerous Aston Villa midfield from making those decisive passes in the final third. Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo should start out wide as the wingers. And, Brentford’s start striker Ivan Toney is expected to once again lead the attack.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Raya; Hickey, Mee, Pinnock, Henry; Jensen, Norgaard, Damsgaard; Wissa, Toney, Mbeumo
Aston Villa
As far as the visitors are concerned, Leon Bailey is expected to be unavailable for this fixture. Meanwhile, they could have a major boost as the trio of Matty Cash, Boubacar Kamara and Philippe Coutinho could return to the squad for this outing.
👀 on the ⚽ @AlexMoreno pic.twitter.com/Dtsw0kqw7b
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) April 21, 2023
Unai Emery is expected to once again go ahead with the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Emiliano Martinez will be in goal. Ashley Young and Alex Moreno should start out wide as the full-backs. Meanwhile, Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings should start as in the heart of the defence.
As far as the double pivot in the centre of the park is concerned, Leander Dendoncker should pair up with David Luiz. The three in front of him should be John McGinn, Emiliano Buendia, and Jacob Ramsey.
McGinn and Ramsey will look to provide width while Buendia will play behind the striker as an attacking midfielder. Meanwhile, start striker Ollie Watkins, who has scored 14 goals in the Premier League, should be leading the attack.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Young, Konsa, Mings, Moreno; Dendoncker, Luiz; McGinn, Buendia, Ramsey; Watkins
Key Stats
- Aston Villa have had the upper hand in their previous encounters against Brentford, having won seven out of 17 matches played between them.
- Despite initially losing their first three matches against Aston Villa, Brentford have managed to win their last four league games against them in the Premier League.
- Brentford’s form has been a concern, with three consecutive defeats in their last three Premier League games.
- The Bees have been winless in their last five league games heading into this fixture.
- Ollie Watkins aims to be the first Aston Villa player to score 15 or more goals in the Premier League since Christian Benteke a decade ago, having already matched his best top-flight total of 14 goals this season.
Player to Watch
Ollie Watkins
Ollie Watkins has been in outstanding form this season, proving himself as one of Aston Villa’s key players. The English forward has played in 30 Premier League matches this season. And, he has an impressive record of 14 goals and six assists.
With just a few matches remaining, he will be eager to add to his tally and help Aston Villa secure a top-six finish in the league. Watkins’s pace, movement, and finishing ability have made him a constant threat to the opposition’s defences this season.
Prediction
Brentford 2-2 Aston Villa
Both teams will be looking to secure a win for different reasons. Brentford will hope to end their losing streak, while Aston Villa will seek to maintain their top-six position. Brentford’s recent form has been worrying. But their home advantage could give them the edge.
The Bees have a good record against Villa at home. They have won their last four home games against the Birmingham side. However, Villa’s impressive form and their recent away record could make things difficult for Brentford.
With Unai Emery at the helm, Villa have won six of their last eight away games in the league. And, their solid defence has conceded just twice during that run. Overall, this match could be a close encounter with both teams having their fair share of chances. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 draw for this fixture.
