Aston Villa have two huge home games this week, starting with a clash against strugglers Brentford tonight.
The Villans are winless in eight matches across all competitions, including the Premier League, Champions League, and Carabao Cup, which has seen them slip into the bottom half of the table.
Over the weekend, Aston Villa’s 3-0 loss to Chelsea prompted questions about what has happened to the Midlands side this term.
Unai Emery’s men have struggled defensively in the top flight, conceding a whopping 22 goals in 13 matches while failing to score in four of their last five encounters.
There are problems at both ends of the pitch for Aston Villa and a confidence-boosting three points against Brentford would perhaps set them back on track.
Ahead of the clash, Chris Sutton has issued his prediction for the match.
Chris Sutton tips Ollie Watkins to score in Aston Villa vs Brentford prediction
While Villa are in a terrible run of form, they can take solace from the fact Brentford are winless on their travels this term, collecting just a single point.
Manager Thomas Frank is wary of Ollie Watkins, who has scored four goals in five games against his former employers but has struggled to find the net in recent weeks.
Micah Richards criticised Watkins against Chelsea, as the 28-year-old missed two golden chances to score and was slack with his all-round game.
Despite his struggles of late, Sutton is still tipping the England international to ‘come up trumps’ for the hosts and get Villa going again.
Predicting a 2-1 win for Aston Villa, Sutton wrote in his BBC Sport column: “Villa’s form is desperate and they are a bit like Manchester City in that they need a result to go for them to turn the tide.
“There is no pressure on Villa boss Unai Emery whatsoever but he does need a win to get his side heading in the right direction.
“Maybe this is when it happens – I am going to say Ollie Watkins will come up trumps against his old team and get Villa going again.”
Aston Villa must be wary of Brentford
Throughout this campaign, Villa have created a bad habit of conceding early in games, especially at Villa Park.
Emery’s men have often managed to turn the deficit around, most notably in wins over Wolves and Everton, but this team is completely different at the moment.
There is a huge lack of confidence across the pitch, from their defensive frailties to their struggles in the final third, and this makes it difficult to overcome.
Brentford – who scored four goals against Leicester City at the weekend – will be a huge threat to Villa on the counter and will perhaps exploit their high line.
| Player | Goals / Assists |
| Bryan Mbeumo | 8 / 1 |
| Yoane Wissa | 8 / 1 |
| Kevin Schade | 3 / 1 |
Kevin Schade is fresh from scoring a hat-trick while the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa can cause problems for any defence on their day.
It means Emery’s men will have to guard against complacency, something that they’ve failed to do multiple times this term.
