Aston Villa 2-2 Brentford: Two goals apiece for Jonathan Kodjia and Neal Maupay
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Villa's Jonathan Kodjia has now got three goals in two games - after scoring just once last season
Jonathan Kodjia's stoppage-time header earned Aston Villa a draw against Brentford, as both sides maintained their unbeaten starts in the Championship.
The Ivory Coast striker looped a header over Bees goalkeeper Dan Bentley in the fifth minute of added time - his second equaliser of the night - to give Villa a deserved point.
Neal Maupay got both Brentford goals - but he was fortunate to escape punishment for a first-half stamp on Villa midfielder John McGinn and may yet be retrospectively banned.
Maupay's well-worked right-foot volley into the roof of the net, after Sergi Canos galloped down the right for Ollie Watkins to head back across goal came against the run of play on 23 minutes.
But Villa were rightfully level on 39 minutes when a great tackle by McGinn won possession, Kodjia turned Ezri Konsa on the edge of the box and then, after letting go of the Bees defender's shirt, darted into the area to drill a fiercely struck right-foot shot beyond Bentley.
Maupay then got in at the far post ahead of Alan Hutton to acrobatically net from close range on 82 minutes after Villa keeper Orjan Nyland could only parry Watkins' neatly chipped left-wing cross - the Frenchman's fifth goal of the season.
Nyland, who had already made one stunning low save to keep out a Nico Yennaris strike, then made another great block to prevent a third Bees goal for sub Said Benrahma.
But Kodjia, who had an injury-wrecked 2017-18 season, had the final word with that key late second equaliser to leave both his side and boyhood Villa fan Dean Smith's Brentford with eight points from their first four matches.
Since being relegated to the Championship, Villa have met Smith's Brentford five times - and are still to win.
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce told BBC WM:
"That was our best performance by a country mile in the first half. You can see what we're trying to do. Then the first mistake we make they score from, but the reaction was good.
"It was a horrible stamp on John McGinn and their lad should have been sent off. I know how difficult it is for referees and I never want to see anyone red carded. But I am sure they will look at it. A malicious stamp on purpose sticks in the back of your throat, especially when that player scores twice
"At 2-1 down, they then had a couple of chances in a good 10 minutes and, all of a sudden, you think that's a bit unjust. But Jonathan Kodjia looks a bit more like the old Jonathan Kodjia again. And we had the character to come back again and get something."
Brentford boss Dean Smith told BBC Radio London:
"If you remember the incident, Mile Jedinak fell over, got up and then smashed Neal in the back of the head so, if they are looking at retrospective for Neal, then we'll do so for Jedinak.
"I would have taken a point at half-time. We weren't very good in the first half but we looked the more likely as the game went on.
"We missed big chances at 2-1 to put the game to bed. The start has been very good, it could have been excellent."
Neal Maupay is now the Championship's top scorer with five goals in four games
- Published22 August 2018
