Sat either side of the top-half line in the Premier League table, Brentford and Aston Villa do battle at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday evening.
The Bees have had over a week to reflect on a 1-1 home draw with a rejuvenated Everton, while the Lions put one foot into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 3-1 slaying of Club Brugge in midweek.
Match preview
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Forget the game of two halves cliche, Brentford are experiencing the season of two halves; the Bees were formerly wonderful at home and woeful away, but Thomas Frank‘s side have since seen their Gtech powers wane while they excel on rival territory.
Saturday’s hosts were circa 15 minutes away from picking up their first home victory of 2025 when Everton paid a visit, as Yoane Wissa put the Bees ahead on the stroke of half time, but a Jake O’Brien header in front of the away end prolonged Brentford’s painful wait for another win at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Not since December 7 have the West London outfit managed to come up trumps in a home fixture, losing five and drawing two of their last seven on their own patch, while incredibly winning all four of their Premier League matches on their travels since the turn of the year.
However, Brentford’s road revival has not been enough to halt their slide into the bottom half of the Premier League standings, where they will remain even with victory on Saturday, although 30 home goals scored remains the highest total of its kind in the division.
The Bees’ praiseworthy goalscoring exploits at home is thanks in no small part to a 15.2% shot conversion rate – the best in the league – but on the other side of the coin, Frank’s team have still not managed to keep a single clean sheet at the Gtech Community Stadium all season long.
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The neutrals should strap in for an exhilarating watch on Saturday evening, as for all of Brentford’s positive and negative play in both boxes, Aston Villa have both scored and conceded in 20 separate Premier League matches this season, more than any other team.
That theme continued in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday night, where Unai Emery‘s men justified their favourites tag for their showdown with Club Brugge in a 3-1 away victory, one that puts them firmly in command of their quarter-final destiny.
In fact, the Lions have had two slices of knockout success to shout about in recent days, also easing past Cardiff City into the FA Cup quarter-finals after a 4-1 humiliation at the hands of Crystal Palace in the top flight, where just one of their last seven has ended in triumph.
While the Lions are now smack-bang in the middle of the standings in 10th place by virtue of their patchy form, only five points separate them from Manchester City in fourth spot, although an atrocious away streak will do them no favours in their efforts to close the chasm.
Indeed, the Palace pummelling represented their seventh loss from their last nine Premier League matches on the road, but the Lions eased past Brentford 3-1 on home soil in December and are now seeking their first league double over the Bees since the 1946-47 campaign.
Team News
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A total of eight players missed Brentford’s stalemate with Everton last time out, but two of them – Christian Norgaard (concussion) and Mathias Jensen (groin) – might be able to prove their fitness in time for Saturday’s contest.
However, neither Rico Henry (hamstring) nor Sepp van den Berg (knee) will return just yet, while Aaron Hickey (thigh), Igor Thiago (knee), Josh Dasilva (knee) and Gustavo Nunes (back) are some way off making competitive comebacks.
Norgaard for Yehor Yarmoliuk will likely be the only alteration that Frank considers for the visit of Villa, as Kristoffer Ajer keeps January arrival Michael Kayode at bay in the right-back slot.
In contrast, the Aston Villa treatment room has emptied out as the spring months approach, and Emery should only be missing Ross Barkley (knee) and Amadou Onana (thigh) for the trip to the capital.
A sight for sore Lions eyes, Pau Torres was an unused substitute in the first-leg win over Club Brugge following a serious foot injury, but Emery will likely hold off on bringing the Spaniard back into the starting XI.
The Villa coach could still freshen things up with the inclusions of Matty Cash, Ian Maatsen, Jacob Ramsey and Marco Asensio, while Ollie Watkins seeks to show his former side what they are missing.
Brentford possible starting lineup:
Flekken; Ajer, Collins, Pinnock, Lewis-Potter; Janelt, Norgaard; Mbeumo, Damsgaard, Schade; Wissa
Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Disasi, Maatsen; McGinn, Tielemans; Asensio, Rogers, Ramsey; Watkins
We say: Brentford 2-2 Aston Villa
Aston Villa’s struggles after Champions League matches are well-documented, as the Lions have failed to win any of their last seven Premier League games immediately following a top-level European tie.
That shocking streak is likely to continue in an eventful stalemate this weekend, as while Brentford cannot buy a win at home right now, Villa do not travel well in the Premier League and may already have one eye on their next Champions League engagement.
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