Aston Villa return to domestic action this weekend looking to arrest a concerning home slide and avoid an unwanted slice of club history according to the BBC. Unai Emery’s side are in danger of dropping their opening three home league fixtures of a campaign for only the third time, having previously suffered the same fate in 1946 and 1969.
Aston Villa Chase Home Reset Against Brentford
Villa enter the fixture sitting 16th in the Premier League table after collecting just one win from their first five matches as detailed by Paddy Power. The club’s early struggles have been compounded by a heavy squad turnover over the summer, which saw six core players depart while only two of the incoming replacements have been trusted to play regularly right away. However, Villa showed signs of turning a corner before the international break by securing three successive away wins across competitions, capped by a 3-2 league victory at Tottenham Hotspur where more than half of Emery’s starting XI consisted of summer signings for the first time.
Villa Park Loses Fortress Status
Villa Park has uncharacteristically lost its status as a fortress for the West Midlands club. Since defeating Nottingham Forest around the turn of the new year to claim an 11th home victory, Villa have dropped six of their subsequent 11 top-flight matches in Birmingham. Only three Premier League ever-presents across this season and last hold a worse home record over that timeframe.
Club officials and supporters alike have had to contend with a visibly subdued atmosphere at home this term, driven largely by the closure of the North Stand for ongoing redevelopment. This dip contrasts sharply with a preceding 34-month stretch where Villa’s home form sat within touching distance of the division’s very best.
Brentford Arrive in Champions League Contention
Standing in Villa’s way are a visiting Brentford side enjoying a stellar start to the season under head coach Keith Andrews. The Bees occupy a Champions League place after taking nine points from their first 15 available, highlighted by commanding 3-0 victories over capital rivals Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur according to Brentford FC.
Brentford completed their first-ever league double over Villa last season, sealing a 1-0 win at Villa Park despite playing with 10 men. Heading into Saturday’s 3pm kick-off, Andrews confirmed that his squad will be without Antoni Milambo, who has suffered a minor setback from a previous injury, and Josh Dasilva, who remains sidelined with a hamstring issue.
Nathan Collins, Mikkel Damsgaard, Mathias Jensen, Dango Ouattara, and Sepp van den Berg have all returned to the grass and training following various fitness concerns. Young striker Kaye Furo also remains absent after undergoing surgery last month for a metatarsal injury.
Andrews praised his counterpart, calling Emery an exceptional coach and noting that Villa’s recent performances—particularly against Tottenham—demonstrate that their ongoing work is coming to fruition. With five of Villa’s seven matches in October scheduled at home, how many points will Emery’s side actually salvage from this defining stretch?