Aston Villa will looking to win their third match on the trot this weekend, when they travel to London to take on Brentford on Saturday evening. As things stand, Unai Emery’s side sit tenth in the Premier League table, but are only four points off fifth place – which is likely to be enough to seal Champions League football for next season – in the tightly-compacted Premier League table.
Last time out in the Premier League, Emery’s men were on the receiving end of a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Crystal Palace, but bounced back with a 2-0 FA Cup win over Cardiff City the following weekend. Villa will head into their next game full of confidence, having all-but secured their progression to the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 3-1 win away to Club Brugge in the Champions League earlier this week.
Chris Sutton’s Aston Villa vs Brentford scoreline prediction
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s game, former Villa striker Chris Sutton gave his verdict on the Villans’ chances against Thomas Frank’s Bees in his weekly predictions column for BBC Sport, and said: “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 – 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.”
Villa ‘have got to be careful’ to avoid slipping down the table
“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.”
While Sutton tipped Villa’s opponents to secure a 2-1 win, his predictions sparring partner for the week, Scotland rugby player Finn Russell, opted for the reverse scoreline. In justifying his pick, the Bath fly-half pointed to the influence of his fellow countryman and Villa skipper John McGinn, simply stating: “John McGinn is going to make the difference here.”
Meanwhile, an intriguing AI simulation has predicted exactly how many points Villa need to qualify for next season’s Champions League, as the battle with the likes of Chelsea, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest continues to intensify.
Elsewhere, on the transfer front, Manchester City are rumoured to have taken an interest in Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey. Fresh reports have suggested that City boss Pep Guardiola has ordered the club’s scouts to keep tabs on the 23-year-old midfielder, ahead of what is likely to be a major squad overhaul for the Premier League champions this summer.
‘Be careful’ – ex-Aston Villa striker issues stark warning ahead of Premier League clash with Brentford
