Aston Villa vs Brentford Preview: Team News & Prediction
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It has been a really tricking couple of months or so for Unai Emery’s Aston Villa and they need to get themselves back on track quickly as they welcome a strong and enterprising Brentford side to Villa Park this week.
Kick-off date/time: Wednesday 4th December, 2024: UK – 8:15pm / US ET – 3:15pm / US PT – 12:15am
How to watch on TV: UK – Not televised / US – USA Network
How to watch online: UK – Amazon Prime / US – Cannot be streamed
Aston Villa Preview: Becoming the Villains
Unai Emery has achieved remarkable things in charge of Aston Villa but it was clear at the start of the season they needed points on the board early on before their thin squad became very stretched by the demands of trying to maintain a top four challenge in the Premier League alongside UEFA Champions League football.
The Villains come into this one on the back of being hammered 3-0 by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge to extend their miserable run of form. That loss to possible title challengers at the weekend means that they are now winless in their last eight matches across all competitions since late-October.
Brentford Preview: Bees are buzzing
Thomas Frank’s Brentford have been magnificent at the Gtech Community Stadium so far this season with their 4-1 demolition of Leicester City at the weekend keeping them at the top of the home form table in the Premier League. Kevin Schade’s hat-trick in that game sees them looking up towards the top seven and the UEFA competition spots in the Premier League.
The Bees have been brilliant at home with a so-called ‘easier’ fixture list but games on the road have been much tougher with trips to Anfield, the Etihad Stadium, Old Trafford and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium already completed. They have been fun to watch, though, regardless with 49 goals coming in their 13 games so far this season.
Aston Villa Team News: Thin squad
Aston Villa do have a thin squad and their summer business is looking more and more unusual as time goes on with Unai Emery unable to make too many changes.
Rotation could still happen with Ross Barkley and Leon Bailey returning to the starting eleven as Villa desperately try to find something and it would be no surprise if Maatsen and Duran also came in. Emiliano Martinez was substituted at the weekend and is now an injury doubt, too.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Olsen; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Maatsen; Barkley, Tielemans; Bailey, McGinn, Rogers; Duran
Unavailable: Ramsey (Injured)
Questionable: Martinez (Injured), Onana (Injured)
Brentford Team News: The Schade dilemma
Kevin Schade surprisingly started ahead of Fabio Carvalho at the weekend and Thomas Frank was rewarded with a hat-trick by the German so he should keep his place.
They are dealing with a few injury concerns for the trip to Birmingham this week as Aaron Hickey and Rico Henry are still sidelined alongside Kristoffer Ajer and Josh Dasilva.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Flekken; Van den Berg, Collins, Pinnock, Lewis-Potter; Jensen, Norgaard, Janelt; Mbeumo, Wissa, Schade
Unavailable: Hickey (Injured), Henry (Fitness), Ajer (Injured), Dasilva (Injured), Nunes (Fitness)
Questionable:
Aston Villa vs Brentford Prediction
Aston Villa need a win. The Premier League so far this season has followed a pattern that when a side are on the verge of an outright crisis or in generally awful form, they have pulled themselves back from the brink. Brentford have been left frustrated with good performances on the road undermined by eventually falling to defeat. It may be hard-fought but there could now actually be value in siding with the Villains.
Aston Villa vs Brentford Tip: Aston Villa to win & both teams to score
