Aston Villa

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Aston Villa's performance

Come back to this page on Thursday to find a selection of your replies

Four matches make up Wednesday's Champions League action, and we will bring you every moment.

• Lille v Borussia Dortmund (Agg 1-1) - 17:45

• Arsenal v PSV (Agg 7-1)

• Aston Villa v Club Brugge (Agg 3-1) - BBC Radio 5 Live commentary

• Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid (Agg 1-2)

All kick-off times 20:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

It was still quiet outside Villa Park three hours before kick- off. The half-and-half scarf sellers and pin badges stalls were still being set up while those who had arrived early for hospitality hung around waiting for the stadium to open.

That is going to be in stark contrast to how the scenes will be at kick off as Aston Villa aim to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.

Boasting a 3-1 advantage following last week's first-leg victory at Club Brugge, Unai Emery knows former side Paris St-Germain await in the last eight after their penalty victory over Liverpool on Tuesday.

Emery remains wary of Brugge, despite their lead, having scored twice in the final eight minutes through Brandon Mechele's own goal and Marco Asensio's penalty in Belgium.

He said at his news conference on Tuesday: "We won there but we won in the last minutes with two actions that we had. That's football, but the respect is massive. The respect of them is massive."

Brugge beat Villa 1-0 in the league stage so already know what it takes to beat Emery's men, who have been too inconsistent this season to - so far - guarantee they will be in the top four come May.

They have been unable to kill teams off - one of the reasons they are eighth and four points adrift of the top four in the Premier League - but must find their ruthless edge to ensure progression.

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

"It's an exciting time to be a Villa player and a Villa fan," grinned Matty Cash.

He is an excellent spokesman for Villa's players, and for footballers generally, because alongside the obvious dedication to his craft demanded at Villa's level, he still carries a kid-in-a-sweetshop sense of wonder at where he is, and how he is earning his living.

Footballers should smile more, and Cash smiles a lot.

"It's good to be excited, definitely," he says. "Not to get too far ahead of ourselves, but definitely to have that excitement, to see what you could achieve."

Just two weeks ago, after a bad defeat at Selhurst Park, a slight sense of drift was beginning to creep around Villa's season. Three wins, in three different competitions, have blown that feeling away.

At Tuesday's press conference, Unai Emery spoke with renewed zeal, a sense of determination that though this season has been a great ride for everyone, there must be a tangible reward at the end. Another shot at one of the European competitions would be a minimum requirement, winning a trophy at the same time better still.

"Maybe even the first objective I had when I arrived here was to be in Europe, and we got in last year and this year," he said.

"And to be in contention for a trophy; last year we were in the Conference [League] being contenders but we lost in the semi-final, this year we are in the FA Cup, we are now in Champions League as well, and everything we are doing hopefully we can keep for a long time. This is the challenge."

Hang on. As I recall, when Emery's imminent arrival was announced in October 2022, most Villa fans calling BBC Radio WM were more exercised by whether they were going to stay in the Premier League at all. So I looked it up: sure enough, at his first press conference, Emery said more or less the same thing: "My dream is to win a trophy with Aston Villa, it's my personal challenge at the beginning. And my second dream, my objective could be to play with Aston Villa in Europe." At the time it sounded like a moonshot but here we are.

Back to the present. Emery told us: "I know the club, after they won the European Cup, they were for a long time not achieving the demands we are now setting in the club – to be in Europe, to be contenders for trophies. Everything we are doing is important. But I want more." You bet.

Listen to Aston Villa v Club Brugge on BBC Radio WM with live commentary (95.6FM/DAB/Freeview), Wednesday 8pm.

Tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights

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Former Tottenham and Newcastle winger Andros Townsend believes Aston Villa have enough to progress beyond Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Unai Emery's side lead 3-1 on aggregate going into the second leg of their last-16 tie and, after Paris St-Germain beat Liverpool on penalties, will take on the French side in the quarter-finals if they progress.

Townsend believes Villa's flurry of goals against Brugge stands them in good stead to get over the line.

"I think they will progress, with the two-goal buffer, but I think in the first leg, Brugge were the better side," he said.

"They took the game to Villa and were very expansive and didn't really turn over the ball but Aston Villa hit them in the last five or 10 minutes and it is probably too much for Brugge to overturn.

"It is incredible to see the squad Villa has amassed to now. Even now, Emery is resisting the temptation to start Asensio.

"They have such an array of talent to choose from."

Henry Brownsey
BBC Sport journalist

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Champions League second leg against Club Brugge (kick-off 20:00 GMT).

Villa won the first leg of the last-16 tie 3-1 in Belgium last week.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Emiliano Martinez and Marco Asensio are both available after missing Saturday's win at Brentford, while midfielder Amadou Onana is also returning to the squad.

• On how Villa prepare with a two-goal lead, Emery said: "Nothing changes. We have our own experience, anything could happen because it's football - the match can change so quickly," and referenced Villa giving up a two-goal lead earlier in the competition against Celtic.

• On how key the crowd are: "The supporters know their importance in our process - the environment, helping, supporting us. It's a special moment at Villa Park - we have to be together and enjoy it."

• He said the players have been practising penalties but "it's difficult, it's never the same - the real practice is in the moment. How they feel - comfortable, strong and ready. The most important is experience is through previous penalty shootouts."

• On the importance of Morgan Rogers: "I appreciate versatile players who understand everything - he is one of them, John McGinn is another, their personality and [consistency] is very important - I am pushing other players to be versatile in case we need it."

• He continued: "[Rogers] is always performing well because he understands everything tactically what we are planning and also has the quality to do it, he is always trying to improve and we want more of him."

• On how the club is performing: "Our objective is to be consistently playing in Europe and the Champions League, there is a new demand - for the owners, the club and the supporters. My objective when I arrived was to contend for trophies and play in Europe - hopefully we continue, I want more."

• On how they can have a successful season: "We are getting better, but we have an expectation in the Premier League - we have to try to get the balance in the next few weeks and months. I don't want to stop - we know how demanding we have to be to achieve our objective."

David Michael
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Having just taken the lead against Brentford, Aston Villa thought they had doubled their advantage a minute later - until a lengthy VAR review ruled out Morgan Rogers' goal for offside against assist-provider Ollie Watkins.

While a second quickfire goal could have effectively killed the game, it being disallowed may have been more beneficial in the long run as it gave Unai Emery another opportunity to stresstest a relatively new defensive line-up.

Villa's defensive issues have been one of the season's biggest frustrations. Only the three teams currently marooned in the relegation zone have kept fewer clean sheets (four) or have a worse away goal difference (-11) this season.

Injuries have led to constant reshuffling at the back, yet regardless of personnel, the defence has struggled for stability.

Brentford gained momentum after Villa's disallowed goal and began pressuring what might be the back four Emery has finally settled on, having also used it in Bruges during Villa's 3-1 Champions League first-leg win.

With Axel Disasi starting at right-back, Emery has the flexibility to introduce a more attack-minded option such as Matty Cash later in games, shifting Disasi inside as a third centre-back.

Emery initially experimented with a three-centre-back system away at Crystal Palace, where it quickly faltered, but his primary intention seems to be using it as an in-game switch - particularly to shut down matches in the Champions League knockout stages.

Disasi has proven himself comfortable at full-back and possesses a battling edge reminiscent of Tyrone Mings, giving Villa a more robust defensive presence.

The same back four is expected to start the second leg against Club Brugge, and Brentford's late pressure should serve as a valuable dress rehearsal for a crucial night at Villa Park.

But one major question remains - with Pau Torres now back from injury and previously considered central to Emery's style of play, will he be sacrificed for a more pragmatic defensive setup?

Find more from David Michael at My Old Man Said, external

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We asked for your views on Brentford's Premier League match against Aston Villa.

Here are some of your comments:

Brentford fans

George: Frustrating - a very even match where we had plenty of chances in their box but couldn't turn it into the net. Disasi flung himself well in front of the best of those chances and their keeper was outstanding. While we fought to the dying seconds, they ran the clock down well and we lacked the two things that any Premier League team sorely needs when trailing - decisive substitutions and a generous helping of luck.

Iain: Brentford played well against a well organised Villa defence. Just two points - one, when will Brentford take a shot instead of walking the ball in? And two - when will the quality of refereeing improve in this country?

Paul: I think the referee was weak, but saying that we need to fall behind to start playing and it shouldn't be like that at home. Don't understand Thomas Frank's substitutions. What's the point of bringing on a centre half with minutes to go when there's a B team forward on the bench?

Villa fans

Paul: Question marks were raised over Unai's team selection, but he got it absolutely spot on when you now consider the fresh legs we'll have for the visit of Club Brugge. At the business end of the season it feels like we're finally coming good. Disasi in particular was immense.

Jason: More gritty performances like this would be handy; you don't get points for style. Disasi was a beast.

Andrew: Proud of the Villa team. Every player put a shift in and I was worried at the start with Olsen in goal but we were excellent in the first half without scoring and a very close VAR decision ruled out Rogers' goal.

Highlights and analysis from Saturday's six Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Liverpool 3-1 Southampton

• Brentford 0-1 Aston Villa

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport journalist

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Aston Villa's post-Champions League struggles have been well documented this season.

Prior to this fixture they had failed to win the previous seven matches they had played in immediately after a European game, collecting just three points in the process.

So this was a very welcome end to that dismal run.

And that they managed it without their influential goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and forward Marco Asensio, while fielding nine of the side that started the 3-1 victory at Club Brugge, was all the more impressive.

While Ollie Watkins returned to haunt former club Brentford with the decisive goal, there was plenty to admire about the defensive resolve on show from Unai Emery's side.

Robin Olsen, deputising for the injured Emiliano Martinez, looked assured on his first top-flight start since May 2024.

In front of him on-loan Chelsea defender Axel Disasi along with Tyrone Mings, Ezri Konsa and Lucas Digne formed a highly effective shield that restricted the hosts to just three efforts on target.

Image source, Getty Images

Unai Emery after Aston Villa's victory against Brentford: "We competed more in the second half. Normally Brentford create more [at home]. We needed to defend and we defended fantastically.

"We needed our goalkeeper. We needed our defence to be strong. From crosses they are dangerous, but I think we did a fantastic job."

On Axel Disasi: "He's here because he wanted to be with us. Today he made one more step forward [in terms of] adapting to us and supporting us."

On Emiliano Martinez and Marco Asensio: "We will see because we have four days [until the second leg against Club Brugge]. Hopefully tomorrow we can start doing something with them. They are very important players for us."

Image source, Getty Images

With an average age of 28y 217d, Aston Villa named their oldest starting XI for an away Premier League game since a 3-0 defeat at Arsenal in March 2012 under Alex McLeish.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Brentford's performance

What did you make of Villa's display?

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Six matches make up Saturday's Premier League action and BBC Sport will bring you every kick.

• Nottingham Forest v Manchester City (12:30)

• Liverpool v Southampton - full commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Crystal Palace v Ipswich Town

• Brighton v Fulham

• Brentford v Aston Villa (17:30) full commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Wolves v Everton (20:00)

All kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

This should be a really good game - it is 11th versus 10th but both teams are looking up the table and thinking about getting into the European places.

It feels like it will be close but I am actually pretty sure Brentford will win it - Aston Villa have been stretched all season and we know they tend to be a bit flat the weekend following a Champions League match.

That's the test for Unai Emery's side here. Can they break that habit of dropping points after playing in Europe? I'm not convinced.

Villa are in a strong position against Club Brugge after their first-leg win in Belgium but, if they are at all tired from that game, then Brentford's energy means they are not a team you would want to face.

I'm going for Villa striker Ollie Watkins to score against his former club, but I am backing the Bees to take the points.

The rest of Villa's season is going to be a balancing act too - I'd back them to beat Brugge next week and make the quarter-finals, and also to overcome Preston in the last eight of the FA Cup.

But at the same time they really need a run of results in the Premier League to help them in the race for the top five. Right now they are still in touch with the teams above them but they have got to be careful not to slide out of contention there.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Ben Ramsdale
BBC Sport journalist

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League home game against Brentford (kick-off 17:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Emery confirmed midfielders Ross Barkley and Amadou Onana remain out for Saturday's game because of injury.

• Pau Torres, Matty Cash and Boubacar Kamara all returned to the matchday squad in Tuesday's victory over Club Brugge and he said all three will slowly be reintroduced with more minutes in the coming fixtures.

• He said the Premier League remains the "most important" objective for the side, despite still being involved in both the FA Cup and Champions League.

• When asked if Marco Asensio is getting closer to featuring in an even bigger role for the side, Emery replied: "Yes, of course."

• On Brentford's poor home form and how Villa can take advantage of that: "Sometimes you can perform fantastic and you are not winning, and sometimes you don't compete well and you win. They have had different results but they are performing well. They are deserving more from matches and they are always strong at home - always."

• Emery said that Thomas Frank is "always tactically improving and getting better" and added that he has turned Brentford into a "completely different" side than they were five years ago.

Listen to full commentary of Brentford v Aston Villa on BBC Radio 5 Live at 17:30 on Saturday

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news.

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We asked you to tell us one thing - good or bad - that nobody is talking about at Aston Villa.

Here are some of your thoughts:

Rob: Tyrone Mings had the perfect redemption story against Club Brugge, yet he is going to be in the last year of his deal come the summer. Unai Emery might well be deferring any new contract offers for his players until the summer now, and that's fine, but I think Mings still has plenty of great performances left in him. If the first thing Unai does in the next transfer window is offer him a new contract, then that is just as good as a new signing.

Paul: Donyell Malen not being selected for the Champions League could come back to bite us. He was a finalist last year and I find it hard to comprehend.

Noah: The impact of Boubacar Kamara coming back into the frame. Injuries have been consistent in what has been a stop-start season for us, and having someone as dependable as Kamara returning is massive for the business end of the season. He is everywhere and has even proved himself at centre-back. He is undoubtedly our best player and he will show it in the final games.

Prit: If you look at last season, we had a pretty constant and strong defence. Watkins was in form, the Bailey-Diaby axis was working really well, and most importantly we had Kamara and Douglas Luiz anchoring the midfield. In my humble opinion, we have missed the strength of Luiz but our most important player this season so far has been Kamara. When he's not playing, or he's covering in defence, we have missed his strength in midfield.

Pablo: Kamara and Tielemans form a great partnership. Tielemans is the heartbeat but Kamara is to Aston Villa what Rodri is to Manchester City. I'm not comparing the players at all, but I'm comparing the role they play. We are a lot stronger when Kamara is in the team and playing in defensive midfield.

Matt: Ross Barkley has been our biggest absence. He was absolutely key, coming off the bench to close out games for us. He had put himself in a position to start and then sadly picked up his calf strain.

Image source, Getty Images

Following their 3-1 win at Villa Park in December, Aston Villa are looking to complete their first league double over Brentford since the 1946-47 campaign.

Having won 10 points from their first 12 available away from home in the Premier League this season, Aston Villa have since won just four from a possible 27 on the road.