10/05 - 20:00
Ollie Watkins scored the matchwinner against his former side Brentford, as Aston Villa came from behind to win a bad-tempered affair against the Bees at the Gtech Community Stadium on Sunday.
Brentford's Ben Mee and Villa's Boubacar Kamara were both dismissed in the second half, as the visitors overturned Keane Lewis-Potter's opener thanks to goals from Alex Moreno and Watkins.
The Action: Villa came into the contest in a rich vein of form and boasting a perfect home record. However, the Villans had only picked up 10 of their 35 points on the road so far this season and their hosts set their stall out early: defending deep and looking to cause problems on the break.
Despite dominating territory and possession, the visitors were struggling to create clear cut opportunities and they were given a stark wake up call at the end of the first-half when the Bees' Keane Lewis-Potter finished smartly after the ball bounced to him in the box from a corner.
Half-time: Brentford 1-0 Aston Villa
After the break, Brentford's game plan appeared to be working perfectly - until their centre-back Ben Mee was controversially sent off for a challenge on Leon Bailey. Initially booked, Mee was dismissed by referee David Coote after he was advised to check the incident by VAR assistant Craig Pawson.
The hosts were incensed by the decision, with Brentford boss Thomas Frank booked, and the game descended into a bad-tempered scrap, from which Villa emerged victorious.
Villa equalised when Alex Moreno snuck in at the far post to head home and then former Bee Watkins came back to haunt his old club with another header - his celebration in the net causing a huge ruckus that involved the majority of the players on the field.
Bailey came close to scoring a spectacular own goal in the latter stages, but Villa hung on to record a valuable win - although their midfielder Boubacar Kamara was sent off for pushing Yehor Yarmoliuk after an off-the-ball incident between Emiliano Martinez and Neal Maupay.
The result moved Villa second, a point behind leaders Arsenal, although Liverpool could leapfrog both clubs if they beat Manchester United in Sunday's late kick-off.
xG: Brentford (0.54) 1-2 (1.69) Aston Villa
1-2 | ||
Keane Lewis-Potter 45' | Álex Moreno 77' Ollie Watkins 85' |
