Douglas Luiz scored a late equalizer to help Aston Villa produce one of the close football results of the weekend in the Premier League. After being revitalized by Unai Emery, Villa has not lost since February 18, moving from the bottom half of the Premier League to the mix for European qualifying. Due to a five-game losing streak, Brentford’s own bid for European football had stalled. However, when Ivan Toney capitalized on Ashley Young’s blunder at the far post, the hosts appeared to have revived their prospects. The Bees, however, began to retreat into their own penalty area as time expired, and they paid the price in the 87th minute when Douglas Luiz capitalized on a loose ball in the box to score past David Raya and move his team into sixth place as their opponents dropped to the bottom of the standings.
Emiliano Martinez, the goalkeeper for Villa, was forced to leave the game at halftime due to a stomach bug, but Bees manager Thomas Frank was the one who ended up feeling ill. Given that their form has stalled just as Villa’s has exploded, Brentford fans could have been excused for having some apprehension when welcoming the visitors to west London. Although Villa had 15 points from their previous five games compared to the Bees’ 2, they weren’t intimidated by their strong opponents during a close first half. Emiliano Buendia’s drive from the edge of the box was deflected wide by Raya as Villa came closest to taking the lead, but Bryan Mbeumo then challenged Martinez after displaying shrewd skill in the visitors’ end.
Leander Dendoncker made a mistake, which allowed Mathias Jensen to miss wide, and Martinez made a superb stop to keep Toney from scoring from close range. Losing the World Cup champion from Argentina seemed to deflate Villa, who were on the back foot for the majority of the second half and should have fallen behind when backup goalkeeper Robin Olsen dropped the ball at Kevin Schade’s feet, but the Brentford forward missed the side-netting when given an opportunity. Then, Mbeumo missed a golden opportunity, but he atoned for it a few minutes later when he found Toney with a beautiful cross from the right, giving the striker all the time in the world to turn the ball past Olsen after Young allowed it run across his body.
The goal eventually roused Villa from their slumber, and they had a chance to tie when Jacob Ramsey scooped a beautiful chance over the crossbar. However, Brentford could have won the game when Frank Onyeka missed a great opportunity from close range after Tyrone Mings mishandled a cross. Instead, Luiz’s late goal gave Villa the advantage. The midfielder had a chance to add a sensational second goal in stoppage time, but his 35-yard shot missed the top corner.
Brentford’s matchup with Villa was an opportunity for two contenders for England’s No. 9 jersey to face off in addition to two European contenders. Gareth Southgate gave Toney the task of supporting Harry Kane last month, but Watkins had undoubtedly gained the attention of the England manager after scoring 11 goals in his last 12 outings. Watkins, who hasn’t played for England since earning his seventh cap 13 months ago, had a miserable afternoon as Brentford kept him quiet on his return to his former club, jeopardizing that record.
Watkins averages 30.42 touches per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season, but Brentford only allowed him 24. He also had a decrease in predicted goals, from 0.47 on average to 0.36 this game. For Watkins, the fact that Toney scored his 19th Premier League goal of the season, five more than the Villa striker and four behind Kane, will be even more aggravating. Before the upcoming international matches in June, there is still time for hopefuls to position themselves to compete for England, but Toney will believe he defeated Watkins in west London.
“I usually try to concentrate on how we play when I analyze the game. Although we didn’t play well today, this is a really valid statement,” Aston Villa boss Unai Emery said. “They are a very skilled squad, they have only lost two games here, and I was aware going into the game that it would be very challenging to win here. In the end, it is even more challenging to draw after they scored first. Although we are unsatisfied with how we played, we must be content with one crucial aspect.”
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