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Premier League Matchday Insights: Brentford vs. Aston Villa
Key events
Here’s the current situation: Following their recent victory, Crystal Palace’s win has pushed Brentford down to the 12th position in the standings. However, a win today could pull Brentford just six points shy of Manchester City, who currently occupy the fourth spot.
Premier League 3pm Results
Brighton 2-1 Fulham
Crystal Palace 1-0 Ipswich
Liverpool 3-1 Southampton
Liverpool staged a second-half comeback, with Mohamed Salah scoring twice, extending their lead at the top of the table to sixteen points. Meanwhile, late goals from Ismaïla Sarr and João Pedro secured home victories for Crystal Palace and Brighton.
Notably absent from Aston Villa’s lineup is Emiliano MartÃnez, with Robin Olsen stepping in as goalkeeper. Additionally, Marco Asensio is missing from the squad due to injury, which diminishes the overall allure of the match for neutral fans. Also sidelined for Villa is Marcus Rashford, with Jacob Ramsey taking his place in the lineup, following a successful performance in Bruges earlier this week.
On the Brentford side, Christian Norgaard returns from a concussion to replace Yehor Yarmolyuk in midfield, marking their only change from their last match against Everton. Facing injury issues, Brentford has fielded a particularly young bench, featuring players all aged 21 or younger, reflecting the club’s focus on youth integration amid challenges.
Team News
Brentford (4-2-3-1): Flekken; Ajer, Collins, Pinnock, Lewis-Potter; Norgaard, Janelt; Mbeumo, Damsgaard, Schade; Wissa.
Subs: Jensen, Valdimarsson, Mee, Yarmolyuk, Konak, Maghoma, Kim, Morgan, Frederick.
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Olsen; Disasi, Konsa, Mings, Digne; McGinn, Tielemans; Bailey, Rogers, Ramsey; Watkins.
Subs: Zych, Cash, Rashford, Torres, Garcia, Malen, Maatsen, Bogarde, Kamara.
Match Build-Up
As both teams prepare for kickoff, they find themselves in mid-table positions but remain optimistic about securing a European qualification spot. However, both teams are under pressure to improve their current form as they face off today.
Brentford enjoyed a strong start to the season at home but has recently struggled, managing no victories in their past six outings — their worst run in nearly two decades. Conversely, Aston Villa is grappling with their own set of issues on the road, winning only once in their last nine away matches, which includes a dismal stretch of four games without a win in London.
Yet, there’s a silver lining for Villa. Their recent history against Brentford is favorable, having defeated them at home in December, extending their unbeaten streak against the Bees to five matches. Previously, Villa had struggled against Brentford for many years, failing to secure a win between 2016 and 2022.
Additionally, Villa’s recent trend shows a tendency to falter after Champions League matches, having not won a league match following such games since September. It raises the question of whether they can break the cycle in today’s match or if a stalemate might be on the horizon. With the kickoff approaching at 5:30 PM GMT, anticipation builds for what promises to be an exciting encounter.
Source
www.theguardian.com