Follow live coverage as Aston Villa face Brentford today in the Premier League. Another top-flight season will be covered in full right here with The Independent, as reigning champions Manchester City look to make it an unprecedented five titles in a row come the end of 2024/25.
The likes of Arsenal and Liverpool will be chasing Pep Guardiola's side, but just as fascinating will be the race for Champions League places, with more teams than ever before having designs on top-four finishes. Chelsea remain big-spending, Manchester United's latest rebuild continues and both Tottenham and Newcastle will expect improvements this year - yet it was Aston Villa who snared fourth last term.
Meanwhile, it's Southampton, Leicester City and Ipswich Town who made it back to the elite after promotion last year and each will have hope they can make it more than a one-year stay. Follow the latest live action from the Premier League below:
Aston Villa FC 3 - 1 Brentford FC
Aston Villa vs Brentford
22:17The writing was on the wall for Brentford after Villa filled their boots with three goals in the first 34 minutes. It was always going to be a difficult task for the visitors after Rogers, Watkins (from the spot), and Cash put the home side three goals to the good. Thomas Frank sent his charges out in the second period with a little more fire in their belly, but after Damsgaard appeared to get them back into the game with a clinical finish on 54 minutes, they failed to capitalise, struggling to fashion more opportunities. The win fires Villa up to seventh place in the Premier League, on 22 points. Brentford - still in search of their first away win of the campaign - sit in ninth spot on 20 points for the season. Thank you for joining us this evening and goodbye.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
22:11FULL-TIME: Aston Villa 3 - 1 Brentford
Aston Villa vs Brentford
22:11Janelt screams at the referee as his shot from a Rodrigues cross clearly defelects off a Villa player on its way over the bar, only to be given as a goal-kick.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
22:10Deep in his own territory, Philogene-Bidace picks the ball up on the right and with quick feet, gets his team up the pitch drifting from right to left and finding space in midfield. This game slipping away for Brentford now.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
22:07Lack of urgency here from Brentford. Not enough goal-mouth action since the goal went in.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
22:02Substitution John McGinn Ian Ethan Maatsen
Aston Villa vs Brentford
22:02NEARLY ANOTHER FOR VILLA!! Duran looks desperate to get his token goal from the bench. A McGinn cutback sees him with space inside the box. He lashes a left-foot shot but it is too close to Flekken who should and does save it.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
22:02Substitution Morgan Elliot Rogers Emiliano Buendía Stati
Aston Villa vs Brentford
22:01Rogers nicks the ball from Mbeumo and goes on a driving run infield, taking on three players before passing the ball. He has played excellently this evening.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
22:00Time running out now for Brentford. If they had applied themselves in the first like they have in the second, they may be in a better situation.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:57Mings suffers an aerial blow from Thiago Rodrigues who has provided more of a physical threat to the home defence.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:56Yellow Card Matthew Stuart Cash
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:55Loose from Martinez who plays out of play on the Villa right, inviting Brentford pressure deep in their own half.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:55Substitution Keane William Lewis-Potter Mads Roerslev Rasmussen
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:54Damsgaard the pick of the bunch tonight for Brentford, he is working tirelessly and again goes on a raid down the left. He has kept going, but the midfield area has been difficult against Villa who seem to ahve more presence in the middle of the park.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:52A sliding effort from Duran who refused to let the ball run away from him on the left. He hits it early, whilst simultaneously slipping, it still goes on target, with Flekken only able to push wide of his right-hand post.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:51A flurry of scrappy tackles and resulting free-kicks prevents any kind of momentum.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:50That is nearly twice Martinez has set Duran free down the middle with a direct straight ball. Such a potent weapon to have a keeper who can do that.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:46Brentford sub: Schade has really struggled to get into the game, summer signing from Liverpool, Carvalho comes on.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:46Substitution Yoane Wissa Bileko Igor Thiago Nascimento Rodrigues
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:46Substitution Boubacar Bernard Kamara Ross Barkley
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:46Player movement on the Brentford bench. Looks like more firepower arriving.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:44Mings has been impressive this evening, helping quash the threat of Schade, Wissa and Mbeumo. No easy task.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:40Yellow Card Jhon Jader Durán Palacio
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:39Substitution Leon Patrick Bailey Butler Jaden Richard Philogene-Bidace
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:39Substitution Oliver George Arthur Watkins Jhon Jader Durán Palacio
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:39Substitution Yehor Yarmoliuk Edmond-Paris Maghoma
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:39Mbeumo winds up for the volley on the right as the ball comes right over to him, but Digne nicks it away with a headed touch.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:38Brentofrd pushing now. A period of sustained pressure in the Villa half, but no clear cut chances. The Brentford players are giving everything in terms of effort this half. They have won a corner on the right.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:37Brentford looking at least more threatening than the first half, but Villa - for the most part - in control.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:34SAVED!! Flekken is keeping his side in this encounter. Janelt inexplicably played the ball back towards his keeper but underhit it, Watkins pounced and nearly made it four with a firm shot from the right inside the box. Flekken smothered the shot and got it away to safety.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:30FLEKKEN SAVES!! A sumtuous passage of play involving Rogers and Watkins and Bailey ends up with another ball into the box for Watkins to try to head home, but as it is guided towards the bottom left corner, Flekken scrambles across his line and palms away and around the post. Rogers is sporting a bleached blonde look this evening, making him stand out, but it is his football making him stand out so far.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:30Goal Mikkel Krogh Damsgaard
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:26Digne whips a lively ball from the left again, it looks as though McGinn tries to almost evade the ball at the near post but as he lifts his left leg it ricochets off him and goes behind for a goal kick.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:25A simple kick out from Martinez sees Watkins back in to Collins, Collins has nowhere to go and as he muscles Watkins to the ground he is shown the yellow card.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:25Flekken makes a meal of that cross. He puches with both fists, it spins up in the air, he does exactly the same again and it goes behind for a corner. Confidence looking low amongst the brentford players in this game.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:22VILLA SHOT!! Digne hits an unexpected left foot effort towards the near post, with Flekken expecting a cross. He beats it away for a corner.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:21Villa get us back underway.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:15Scoring three times in the first half makes a mockery of the pre-match claims that Villa were struggling to score goals recently, they have looked imperious going forward and it is reflected in the achievement of an xG of 1.29. Brentford - yet to have a shot on target - only managed 0.08 xG in that first half. Before the game, Villa's live win probability was at 54%, that has now surged to 98.1%. Brentford's live win probability went from 23.1% pre-match, to now showing as 0.3%.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:10That first half was played out exactly how Unai Emery must have dreamt it last night. Rogers opened the scoring with a beautiful strike with his right foot that nestled in the top right corner. The kind of goal Middlesbrough fans became accustomed to in the England international's short spell with the club. The lead was quickly doubled through a Watkins penalty after he, himself was felled by Pinnock in the box. Cash made it three on 34 minutes, making it a proverbial mountain for the visitors to climb if they are to get back into this encounter.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:05HALF-TIME: Aston Villa 3 - 0 Brentford
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:04Damsgaard darts through two players in midfield and gives the ball to Lewis-Potter who delivers into the box with a right-footed cross from the left that causes momentary panic in the Villa box, but Mings clears. Brentford need more of that.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:02Three minutes will be added on at the end of the first period.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:01Brentfrod looking shell-shocked at the moment. Some work to do for Frank at half-time.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
21:00NEARLY FOUR!! Watkins nearly bags himself another there after a strong run down the right and a shot from within the penalty area. It looked as if the ball jut got away from him slightly and he had to reach a bit with the shot, falling back slightly. The sweeping shot is always on the rise but Flekken still needed to tip over the bar for a corner.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:55Damsgaard whipped in aball towards the near post, but as Pinnock arches his neck to get on the end of it, he can only divert wide of the left post.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:54Finally something for the away fans to cheer. A blocked cross from the left offers up a corner and a chance to respond.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:50Goal Matthew Stuart Cash
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:50Corner for Villa as Bailey tries to isolate Pinnock down the Villa right. Digne comes across to hit an inswinger from the right. It is played short and worked right across the pitch to Tielemans who lets fly from around 30 yards slightly left of the angle of the penalty area but its fired wide.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:47Villa have their tails up now, swarming every Brentford player - ironically - like Bees around the honey pot.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:47It takes Watkins' Villa Park goal involvements to 52. Watkins recently became the first Aston Villa player to reach 50 goal involvements in Premier League home games with 35 goals and 15 assists (now 36 goals). His 36 goals at Villa Park is bettered only by Dwight Yorke (37 goals).
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:45That is five in five now from Watkins against his old club Brentford.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:43Penalty Goal Oliver George Arthur Watkins
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:42VILLA PENALTY!!
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:41Yellow Card Ethan Rupert Pinnock
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:38Assist Oliver George Arthur Watkins
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:37Goal Morgan Elliot Rogers
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:37Villa try to play out from the back with composure, but as the ball comes out to Cash, he anticpates the press and slips over, much to the amusement of the visiting fans.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:36Brentford are working hard to press the full-backs. Damsgaard and Mbeumo are forcing Cash and Digne to go long numerous times rather than get up the pitch.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:33Another Brentford free-kick from deep sees it fired at pace to the back post where Collins can head back into the corridor of danger, but he is flagged offside. That looks to be a tactic this evening.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:33Shouts for a penalty to Villa as Janelt falls inside his own area and handles the ball, but he falls as a consequence of being tripped and fouled by Bailey.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:32ON TARGET!! Watkins hits his shot straight down the throat of Flekken after he and Rogers exchange passes on the edge of the box.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:31Villa looking better now. Rogers has freedom to roam around that frontline, pulling left then moving into the ten position.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:30SO CLOSE!! Digne again gets to the byline, his first cross is blocked, but it comes straight back to him and he drops a deeper cross form the left that loops over Flekken and drops under the crossbar, begging to be met by someone but it is marginally too high for McGinn. Danger averted there for Brentford.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:27The visitors continue to press here. More sleepy play sees Mbeumo and Wissa combine but the final cross from the right is dinked in and is far too close to Martinez. Villa go straight down the other end and send in a cross of their own through Digne, who whips in a testing left foot centre. Thankfully for the Bees, Flekken dives out to meet it.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:24Villa are looking a little bit unnerved at the back. Brentford look right up for the cause so far.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:24DANGER!! Brentford dangerman Schade pounced on Kamara who wanted too long in his own half. He drives towards goal and hits his shot low and hard and it heads towards the bottom left corner, but it is flicked wide for a corner. The corner is picked up comfortably by Martinez.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:22Great pressing down the Brentford left as Cash is forced 20 yards back in his own half by the persistence of Schade and Damsgaard.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:20An indication of how open this game promises to be. Mbeumo drifts inside from the right and hits a left footed shot into the Villa box, but it is chested out and Villa go on their own counter that is halted in the centre circle as Bailey looked to get his side away on the attack.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:18An early free-kick to Brentford is hit deep but the knock down from Collins gives Martinez his first touch of the evening.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:17And we are off as the referee blows to start for the first half.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
20:16The captains lead their charges out onto the pitch. The Villa Park faithful are in in full voice. As the fireworks go off, we prepare for the first whistle.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
19:52Thomas Frank has only made just one change to his Brentford team that posted a 4-1 victory against Leicester. It is an enforced change of personnel in midfield, with Mathias Jensen – brought off through injury in the 42nd minute of that encounter – replaced tonight by Janelt, who also picks up the captain’s armband.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
19:52Good news for Villa as Goalkeeper, Martinez is deemed fit enough to resume after taking a knock in the defeat to Chelsea. The home side make two changes for tonight’s game, with Bailey coming in for Philogene-Bidace, and Mings coming into the side to start a league game for the first time this season, replacing Torres at the heart of the defence. John McGinn retains the captaincy.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
19:45SUBS: Hakon Rafn Valdimarsson, Ben Mee, Jayden Meghoma, Mads Roerslev, Ryan Trevitt, Yunus Emre Konak, Edmond-Paris Maghoma, Fabio Carvalho, Thiago Rodrigues.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
19:45BRENTFORD (4-4-2): Mark Flekken; Sepp van den Berg, Nathan Collins, Ethan Pinnock, Keane Lewis-Potter, Bryan Mbeumo, Yegor Yarmolyuk, Vitaly Janelt, Mikkel Damsgaard, Kevin Schade, Yoane Wissa.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
19:45SUBS: Robin Olsen, Diego Carlos, Ian Maatsen, Lamare Bogarde, Pau Torres, Emiliano Buendia, Ross Barkley, Jaden Philogene-Bidace, Jhon Duran.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
19:45ASTON VILLA (4-4-1-1): Emiliano Martinez; Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings, Lucas Digne, Leon Bailey, Boubacar Kamara, Youri Tielemans, John McGinn, Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
19:45Brentford are the Jekyll and Hyde of the Premier League. At home, nobody is better, with the Bees racking up an impressive 19 points. Unfortunately for them, they have only amassed one extra point from their away fixtures. In fairness, their games away from home have so far included visits to Tottenham, Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United. With Villa in indifferent form, Thomas Frank will surely eye this as an opportunity to break the away hoodoo. The form of Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo (both on eight league goals for the season) has been particularly impressive (not to mention recent hat-trick hero Kevin Schade). The visitors will once again look to their match-winners to do the business and record their first away win of the campaign.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
19:45Aston Villa come into tonight’s game still smarting from a 3-0 defeat away to Chelsea. After a blistering start to the campaign, Unai Emery’s side have seen the wins – and indeed the goals - dry up in recent weeks. They suffered just one defeat in their first 13 games in all competitions and looked a real force. Since then, they have hit some sticky form, only managing to get two points from a possible 15 on offer in their last five games in the league. Villa have got a potent attack with Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers and the super-sub Jhon Duran, but they need to find their scoring boots if they are to arrest this mini slump. They’ve managed just two goals in their last five in all competitions.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
19:45Hello and welcome to our live text commentary coverage of this evening’s Premier League clash between Aston Villa and Brentford at Villa Park.
Aston Villa vs Brentford
18:15Follow all the goals and latest action from the Premier League here with The Independent. Team news and line-ups coming up shortly…
