After their win in the Europa League, Villa welcome Brentford to Villa Park as they look to mount a potential challenge for the Premier League titleThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Unai Emery has done a standout job with Aston Villa(Image: Getty Images)
Aston Villa look to maintain their remarkable title pursuit as they welcome Brentford to Villa Park for a Premier League clash on Sunday afternoon. The Villans are full of confidence after a notable win at St James’ Park last weekend, while Brentford are seeking to bounce back from an unusual home defeat to Nottingham Forest.
After an unexpected home loss to Jack Grealish’s Everton on January 18, Villa have swiftly regained their form, racking up three consecutive victories across all competitions. Their resilience was on display again in Thursday’s Europa League fixture, where they overcame a slow start to stage a comeback against RB Salzburg and secure a top-two finish in their group.
Villa’s win over Newcastle, coupled with Arsenal’s defeat to Manchester United, has closed the gap at the top, with Unai Emery’s men now just four points behind the league-leading Gunners. Villa have been a force at home, collecting 25 points from 11 league matches at Villa Park—trailing only Manchester City and Arsenal, who have both secured 29. Still, their last home league match ended in an unexpected defeat to Everton.
As they chase a historic first Premier League title, Villa have also welcomed familiar faces back to the squad in the January transfer window, with Douglas Luiz and Tammy Abraham returning to the club.
Brentford, on the other hand, arrive at Villa Park hoping to avoid a third straight loss in all competitions—a streak they haven’t endured since December 2024. Keith Andrews’s side have recently suffered consecutive league defeats to Chelsea and Nottingham Forest, with last weekend’s setback marking just the second time they’ve lost at the Gtech Community Stadium this season.
Despite this recent downturn, Brentford are still in a solid position, especially given pre-season predictions of a relegation fight. They currently sit eighth in the table, only four points adrift of fifth-placed Chelsea. While their overall away record this season is among the league’s poorest, the Bees have improved on their travels, winning three of their last four away matches in both the league and FA Cup.
Leading the line, Igor Thiago has been outstanding, setting a new record for the most goals scored by a Brazilian in a single Premier League season. With 16 goals in 23 appearances, he has helped Brentford adjust to the summer departures of Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo, giving them a potent attacking option as they look to return to winning ways.
Aston Villa vs Brentford Team News
Aston Villa were dealt a significant injury concern during their victory over Salzburg on Thursday night, as top scorer Ollie Watkins was forced off with a suspected hamstring problem. The England striker is scheduled to undergo scans to assess the extent of the injury, which could pave the way for recent signing Tammy Abraham to make his second debut for the club this weekend.
Watkins now joins a growing list of Villa absentees, including Boubacar Kamara (knee) and Youri Tielemans (ankle), with Kamara ruled out for the rest of the season. John McGinn, a mainstay since Villa’s Championship days, is also set to miss a couple of weeks due to a knee injury.
Brentford, meanwhile, are monitoring the fitness of Kristoffer Ajer and Mikkel Damsgaard, both of whom were substituted in the first half of the defeat to Nottingham Forest. Manager Keith Andrews remains hopeful they will be available for selection, but Sepp van den Berg and Dango Ouattara are on standby to step into the starting lineup if needed. The Bees remain without long-term absentees Fabio Carvalho (knee) and full-back Josh Dasilva.
Aston Villa vs Brentford PredictionBoth teams to score – 4/6 (Betfred)Ollie Watkins to score anytime – 11/8 (Betfred)
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