Aston Villa vs Brentford. Premier League.
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Free match highlights and report as Ivan Toney scores his first Premier League goal for Brentford; Villa's club-record signing Emi Buendia equalised in entertaining first half; Bees remain unbeaten three games into debut top-flight season.
Saturday 28 August 2021 18:08, UK
Brentford remain unbeaten three games into their debut Premier League season after a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa.
Both sides scored early on in an entertaining and open first half; Ivan Toney got his first Premier League goal, lashing confidently into the top corner inside the box from a recycled corner (7), before club-record signing Emi Buendia got his first Villa goal with a curled finish from the edge of the box (13).
There was a deep dive into the rule book for a disallowed Brentford goal as Vitaly Janelt stole the ball from the hands of Emiliano Martinez at a goal kick, and though the visitors showed their defensive capabilities in a less eventful second half, Brentford manager Thomas Frank said after the game "if there was to be a narrow winner, it should have been us."
The draw leaves Brentford ninth with five points from three games, "quite impressive for just a bus stop in Hounslow," Frank added after - with Villa a point further back in 11th.
Whether Brentford have the quality and depth to stay up is a question for another day, but they again showed variation to their game on Saturday with a bold and open first half, and a more defensively-assured second.
They were rewarded for their intent after seven minutes; Sergi Canos' low ball back into the box from a half-cleared corner was flicked on neatly by Pontus Jansson, allowing Toney to smash the ball home into the top corner, opening his Premier League account after hitting 31 last season in the Championship.
Villa equalised just six minutes later as Danny Ings and Anwar El Ghazi combined well on the left, the former feeding Buendia on the edge of the box, and after taking a touch to settle himself, the Argentine found the far corner with a classy finish, ignoring the decoy run of Matt Cash.
Both sides had chances to score the next goal - Ings' low shot from a scramble in the box was clawed away well by David Raya, the first shot on target from Villa this season that hadn't resulted in a goal, while Rico Henry rolled a low effort inches wide at the other end - before a bizarre disallowed goal just before the break.
After nicking the ball off Martinez as the goalkeeper looked to punt the ball upfield from his hands, Janelt rolled the ball into the empty net, but referee Peter Bankes ruled it out. There was confusion on the pitch and in the stands, but Laws of the Game state in this scenario the goalkeeper is in control of the ball until it touches the ground, which it hadn't.
The second half was more conservative but altogether messier than the first, with large periods littered with fouls and neither side getting into a rhythm.
Dean Smith said after the game he was surprised Toney wasn't dismissed for a second yellow card after a high foot on Marvelous Nakamba - "he's a lucky boy, he volleyed him in the head! - but Brentford also had another strong penalty shout turned down.
Cash looked to have handled in the penalty area under pressure from Bryan Mbeumo, but six bookings in the space of 25 minutes summed up the remainder of the game, and volume levels only rose with discontent towards referee Bankes.
Former Bees forward Ollie Watkins did come on for his first minutes of the season, forcing two saves from Raya late on, while Brentford had another penalty shout turned down as Kourtney Hause made contact with Yoane Wissa, but neither side could complain about the result on balance.
Aston Villa boss Dean Smith: "I'm not sure we did quite enough. I thought we were the aggressors, certainly in the second half and latter stages, but probably didn't create enough clear-cut chances in the final third to win it.
"Satisfied with the endeavour, the work rate and coming back from the game.
"It's been a tough week for us, but we've come through it with a point. We wanted three but didn't quite do enough in the final third to do that."
Brentford boss Thomas Frank: "You need to remember where we're coming from, what kind of club we are, we are just a bus stop in Hounslow, so it's quite impressive.
"I'm pleased with many bits of the performance, and again like at Crystal Palace, if there was to be a narrow winner, it should have been us.
"But again we lack a bit of final third quality and composure. But top character, top mentality, and I like the way we presented ourselves, we weren't really under pressure and went for the win."
On Toney: "I am 100 per cent sure he'll score more goals, and it's a fantastic journey he's been on, remarkable."
Villa go to Chelsea after the international break on Saturday, September 11 at 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports Premier League, while Brentford host Brighton at 3pm in the Premier League on the same day.
