Unai Emery’s Aston Villa ended their eight-game winless streak with a 3-1 win over Brentford thanks to an emphatic first-half performance.
Nerves settled quickly at Villa Park after the home side raced into a three-goal lead inside the opening 35 minutes.
Morgan Rodgers fired a stunning strike into the top corner to start the attack, before Ollie Watkins scored the second from the penalty spot after being brought down by Ethan Pinnock.
Matty Cash then added a third with a backhand volley, although questions were raised about the goal after Watkins appeared to be offside and interfered with play just as the ball slipped past Mark Flekken.
It was more of the same after the restart but Brentford would pull a goal back against the run of play just before the hour mark.
Ollie Watkins celebrates Aston Villa’s 2-0 win
The ball fell to Mikel Damsgaard in the box and he then danced past a challenge before firing into the roof of the net.
Brentford took confidence from the goal but were unable to breach the Villa defense again as Emery’s side ended the drought and moved into seventh place, ahead of their rivals in the process.
Watkins: We have full faith in Emery
Aston Villa ahead Ollie Watkins talking to Amazon Prime:
“We started the game brilliantly and came out on the front foot. The early goal calmed the nerves of the crowd. We are calm in the camp and trust the manager to turn it around.
“One win puts us in seventh place, you can see how close it is. We have to focus on the next game and build some momentum. We want to build a fortress at home, that’s what can be built.
Weight lifted in the villa
Sky Sports’ Patrick Rowe.
The burden has been lifted for Emery and his team and they can now go into another home game against bottom-of-the-table Southampton with much-needed confidence.
The Villa boss has never gone nine games without a win in his managerial career and it was clear from the opening minute that his players would not let that happen.
Villa looked at their best at times with Rodgers, Watkins and Leon Bailly all regularly flooding into space on the counter.
All three goals came with quick, sweeping moves up the pitch, and after winning to climb to seventh place, a run of eight games without a win seems a distant memory.
“We’re breaking the spell of the poor results we’ve had. Of course, feeling at home is our forte and the fans are responding well, that’s how we have to try and create,” Emery said after the game.
“I think we did fantastic. They let us pass and create chances. Our game will give us confidence again.
“It’s not enough, but we have to try to continue. The most important thing is to try and focus.”
Frank: The penalty decision was against us
Brentford boss Thomas Frank talking to Amazon Prime:
“They were the best team. We didn’t play well. The decision was against our penalty. It was a soft penalty, in my opinion.”
Watkins is fouled by Brentford’s Ethan Pinnock in the box
Brentford are worried now
Sky Sports’ Patrick Rowe.
“You can’t argue that we’re better at home than we are anyway,” Frank said after another away defeat.
Brentford are in a promising position in ninth but their form away from the Gtech Community Stadium is holding this team back.
Only one of their 20 points has come away from west London, but it was the form of this latest defeat that will worry the Brentford boss.
Aston Villa’s Leon Bailey (right) watches as Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flecken tries to catch the ball.
“Two of the seven away games were poor performances. Today and Fulham,” continued Frank.
“I’m sure we’ll have wins away from home at the end of the season. They reached a high level and showed why they’re playing in the Champions League.”
They are three out of five games between now and the end of 2024. The Bees need to solve this mental block on their travels or this season will quickly fade into obscurity.
