Preview: Brentford vs Aston Villa - prediction, team news, lineups

Keith Andrews will take charge of his first home game as Brentford head coach when the Bees play host to Aston Villa in Saturday’s Premier League contest at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Both teams were unable to pick up maximum points on the opening weekend of the 2025-26 season, with Brentford losing at Nottingham Forest and Villa held to a stalemate by Newcastle United.

Match preview

Given Keith Andrews’s background as a set-piece coach prior to succeeding Thomas Frank in the Brentford hotseat, it was ironic to see the Bees concede from a corner inside the opening five minutes of last weekend’s 3-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest.

Brentford’s defensive mix-up that led to the corner ultimately set the tone for a lacklustre first-half display in which they conceded three goals, before Igor Thiago netted a 78th-minute consolation and his first Premier League goal from the penalty spot 12 minutes from time.

Not only is Andrews tasked with overseeing a significant summer of change at Brentford, he will also endeavour to maintain the club’s impressive record of never having occupied a place in the relegation zone across the last four seasons. The Bees maintain that record for now thanks to goal difference, but defeat on Saturday could see them slip into the bottom three.

Tipped by many to endure a difficult campaign following the loss of Bryan Mbeumo, Christian Norgaard, Mark Flekken and absence of wantaway striker Yoan Wissa, Brentford head into Saturday’s match having never lost their first home fixture in any of their nine seasons in the top tier of English football (W7 D2), scoring at least two goals in every game.

However, the Bees have struggled in recent meetings with Aston Villa, as they have failed to win any of their last six league encounters (D2 L4), while they have also not kept a clean sheet in any of their eight Premier League meetings with the Lions, losing 1-0 at home last season.

Premier League fans had to wait until matchday four of the 2024-25 campaign for the first 0-0 draw, but in what was just the second fixture of the new season, Aston Villa held on for a point with 10 men in a goalless stalemate with Newcastle at Villa Park last weekend.

Ezri Konsa was sent off for a last-man foul midway through the second half and an Alexander Isak-less Newcastle were unable to take advantage of the extra man. Villa mustered just three shots on goal throughout the 90 minutes, their fewest in a Premier League fixture since May 2024 , and they also ranked 20th for shots and expected goals (0.20) of all top-flight clubs on matchday one.

Unai Emery’s side had summer signing Marco Bizot to thank between the sticks, with the 34-year-old goalkeeper the only new arrival to play in an all-too-familiar Villa team that seems to be in need of reinforcements before the September 1 deadline, following the departures of Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio and Jacob Ramsey.

Villa can at least take solace from the fact that they have extended their unbeaten home run to 19 games in the Premier League (W11 D8) - their longest without defeat in the division - and they are now preparing for a trip to Brentford where they have won their last two league visits.

Including the 2-0 defeat to Manchester United on the final day of last season, Villa have failed to score in back-to-back Premier League games for just the second time under Emery; they have not gone three matches without scoring in the division since July 2020 under former boss Dean Smith.

Brentford Premier League form

Aston Villa Premier League form:

Team News

Brentford will be without Vitaly Janelt (ankle) and Gustavo Nunes (thigh) due to injury, but Ethan Pinnock (muscle), Paris Maghoma (hamstring) and Yunes Emre Konak (ankle) are all in contention to return to the matchday squad after missing the defeat at Nottingham Forest.

Mikkel Damsgaard is also available after missing the trip to the City Ground to attend the birth of his child, while Andrews has not refused to rule out the possibility of wantaway Newcastle-linked striker Yoane Wissa featuring in his matchday squad, as he has trained with the first team this week.

Both Damsgaard and new signing Jordan Henderson could be called upon to start in midfield alongside Mathias Jensen, while the return to fitness of left-back Rico Henry allows Keane Lewis-Potter to operate further forward alongside Thiago. He may also be supported in attack by Kevin Schade or club-record signing Dango Ouattara, who could be available to make his debut.

As for Aston Villa, Konsa will serve a one-match ban following his red card last weekend, while Andres Garcia and Ross Barkley are unlikely to return to full fitness in time to face Brentford.

Despite impressing on his debut, Bizot is set to be replaced between the sticks by first-choice goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who is available to return from suspension after being sent off on the final game of last season.

The absence of Konsa could see Pau Torres start in central defence alongside fellow left-footer Tyrone Mings, while in attack, PFA Young Player of the Year Morgan Rogers is set to start alongside Ollie Watkins, who has scored in both of his last two away matches against his former club Brentford, as well as scoring 11 goals in his last 18 Premier League games played in London.

Brentford possible starting lineup:

Kelleher; Kayode, Collins, Van den Berg, Henry; Jensen, Henderson, Damsgaard; Lewis-Potter, Thiago, Schade

Aston Villa possible starting lineup:

Martinez; Cash, Torres, Mings, Digne; Kamara, Onana; McGinn, Tielemans, Rogers; Watkins

We say: Brentford 1-2 Aston Villa

A total of 75 Premier League goals were scored at the Gtech Community Stadium last season, the most of any venue, and Brentford both scored and conceded two or more goals on eight occasions on home soil, the most of any top-flight team since Wigan Athletic in 2012-13.

The net is therefore likely to ripple at both ends this weekend, and while Brentford will be keen to make an impression under Andrews in his first home match, Aston Villa will enter this contest as favourites and Emery’s men should have more joy in the final third this time around after drawing a blank against Newcastle.

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