Did you think I’d forget? It’s just been busy the last few days and I couldn’t forget this match. This one is where it all changes. This is the match that we’ll look back and say, that’s when things got back on track.
And then everyone having a hissy fit the past few days will be long forgotten.
And it has to happen eventually because we have a quality manager and quality always rises to the top. And I don’t think anyone can say he’s not a quality manager. So if we accept all that, we just wait and move on.
I write that because it might not be tonight, but we know it’s coming, so no need to get on my back if it doesn’t happen as I expect. And in that regard, there are reasons for it maybe happening or not.
And I think everyone has a part to play and I think we all need to learn from it. We can look to others, ask for help or just figure it out. But we have to look at ourselves also. Or a small percentage do.
Tonight is all about the three points and looking ahead to Southampton on Saturday. It starts today. No excuses. We get the job done by doing the simple things the right way and that means, completing passes, it means making passes to a player and not an open space and it means keeping hold of the ball.
It means letting the ball do the work, but doing it properly and no laziness. And then we move on to Saturday. I’ll be back in an hour.
Match facts from the BBC
Head-to-head
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Brentford’s solitary victory in 12 top-flight meetings was by 2-1 at Gtech Community Stadium in January 2022.
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They are winless in all 10 league and cup away games against Aston Villa, though six of the past seven were drawn. The exception in that run was Villa’s 4-0 Premier League win under caretaker manager Aaron Danks in October 2022.
Aston Villa
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Villa have gone eight games without a win, including five in the Premier League, for the first time since a run of 11 from February to July 2020 under Dean Smith.
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Unai Emery has never had a nine-match winless run in his managerial career.
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Aston Villa have won just six of their past 17 home league games, directly following a club record streak of 15 successive top-flight victories at Villa Park.
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Their solitary clean sheet in the past 18 league matches came in a 0-0 home draw against Manchester United in October. Villa have conceded 34 goals during that period, an average of 1.89 per game.
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They have won just two of their past 14 Premier League fixtures played on a Wednesday (D4, L8).
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Jhon Duran scored four goals in his first five substitute appearances in the league this season but has failed to score in eight subsequent cameos off the bench.
Brentford
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Brentford have the best home record in the Premier League this season but only managed one away point so far.
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They are winless in their opening six top-flight away matches of a season for the third time, following a run of nine in 1938-39 and seven in 2022-23.
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The Bees could keep a clean sheet in successive Premier League away fixtures for the first time since January last year.
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Kevin Schade became the first Brentford player to register four goal contributions in a Premier League game on Saturday, scoring a hat-trick and providing an assist against Leicester City.
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Bryan Mbeumo has eight Premier League goals in 2024-25, one short of his career-best tally set in each of the previous two seasons.
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Yoane Wissa has scored from eight of his 11 league shots on target this season.
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Christian Norgaard’s next Premier League appearance will be his 100th.
