Aston Villa earned their third successive win in all competitions by defeating Brentford 1-0 at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday night.

Ollie Watkins scored the only goal of the game in the 49th minute, firing past Mark Flekken inside the box.

Robin Olsen replaced Emi Martinez in the starting XI as the Argentina international wasn’t risked due to a small injury issue.

READ MORE: Unai Emery gives Emi Martinez and Marco Asensio injury updates after win over Brentford

READ MORE: Premier League release immediate statement after Aston Villa Morgan Rogers goal disallowed

Villa’s back-up stopper kept only the club’s fourth league clean sheet of the campaign with his backline also impressing against the Bees.

Keane Lewis-Potter hit the post in the 71st minute before Brentford had two penalty claims turned down by referee Jarred Gillett.

Here are the talking points from Villa’s win over Brentford…

A battling victory in the capital

Having suffered in the final 20 minutes against Brentford and won by a slender advantage, these three points feel even more precious.

Emery opted to name the same back four which beat Club Brugge in midweek having often been forced into a number of changes to his backline in previous games.

Apart from when John McGinn was dispossessed in the box early on in the first half, Villa didn’t concede a chance before the break.

Naturally, they dropped off after Watkins’ opener, but Axel Disasi, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings and Lucas Digne were all outstanding.

Disasi celebrated tackles and blocks like they were goals, while Mings stood tall and defended his box alongside Konsa.

Digne, who is an understated member of the team, put in several perfect tackles on Bryan Mbeumo, Brentford’s chief creator and danger man.

With an average age of 28y 217d, 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.

And after full-time, Emery stressed the importance of the important three points.

“Brentford were four points behind us,” Emery said on Sky Sports. “They are also fighting for European positions. We’re under our expectations [in the Premier League], but to get the three points today is really fantastic.

“We said how important this game was because our next Premier League match is 25 days away, I think. We competed fantastically, more or less the same as we did in Bruges.

“Robin Olsen was fantastic. We’re happy but need to calm down now, because we’re still trying to do the work we need for the next few matches.

“We believe in the players and believe we can compete. Last year we achieved fourth place, but to [replicate] that this year is very difficult. The Premier League is the first [target].”

“We respect the teams competing with us a lot. Last year we were the surprise. This year, it’s Nottingham Forest. We’re competing with other teams, but with these three points today, we’re close. Now our only focus is on Wednesday.”

Olsen soaks up Villa adulation

Olsen had conceded 28 goals in 12 Premier League appearances before Saturday night, so keeping a clean sheet against Brentford will come as a huge confidence boost for the Swede.

His performance was similar to when he started in Villa’s 1-0 defeat at Brighton in the final weeks of last season.

This time, Olsen got what he deserved - a clean sheet in what was a big result in Villa’s hopes of reaching their main objective this season.

After full-time as the Villa players thanked their magnificent travelling band of supporters, Olsen was pushed to the front by Morgan Rogers and then Tyrone Mings so he could take in the adulation from the fans. It was a great moment, with John McGinn and others pointing at their goalkeeper.

Villa supporters responded with chants of: “Robin Olsen, the world’s number two!”

While Emery is hopeful that Martinez will return from injury to face Club Brugge on Wednesday night, why wouldn’t the Villa backline have confidence in Olsen to keep successive clean sheets?

Champions League hopes alive

After beating Brentford, Villa’s hopes of securing Champions League qualification remain alive.

If Villa had been beaten on Saturday night, Emery’s side could have been as many as 10 points off the top four after next weekend when Chelsea play away against Arsenal having hosted relegation-threatened Leicester City today.

Manchester City, meanwhile, could increase their gap to Villa to five points when they entertain European hopefuls Brighton, which just goes to show how crucial the win over Brentford really was.

Watkins closes in on Villa record

The countdown continues. Watkins is now only three league goals away from breaking Gabby Agbonlahor’s 74-goal haul in the Premier League, which is a club record.

Close to assisting Rogers moments after opening the scoring before VAR ruled the goal out, Watkins is also only 10 away from breaking Ashley Young’s assists record too.

Watkins was still bizarrely booed by sections of the Brentford crowd after he celebrated last season’s winner in front of a fan who he claimed had been verbally abusing him throughout the season half.

Before kick-off, Watkins spotted Brentford super-fan Woody in the stands and threw him his warm-up shirt, which promoted the brilliant Her Game Too campaign. It was a lovely gesture.

Woody, who has Down syndrome, was wearing an England shirt with Watkins on the back having been befriended by the striker in 2017 when he was at Brentford. They’ve stayed in touch ever since.

On Down syndrome awareness day in 2021, Watkins posted on Instagram: "A few years ago I met this little man called Woody and never did I think he would have such a huge impact on my life in so little time. So grateful for the friendship we’ve made, my number 1 supporter."

Frank and Lewis-Potter baffled by penalty decisions

Brentford were adamant they should have been awarded at least one penalty in the second half, particularly when Disasi slipped over and took an opposing player out in the box as the ball was heading out of play.

After the game, their winger Lewis-Potter said: "We deserved something from the game. The lads' heads are down in there. It is disappointing. In this league if you switch off you get punished. We tried to get back into the game, creating chances, but it wasn't to be.

"The first one is definitely a penalty. He clears him out. I have spoken to lads who have seen it back and it is a pen. VAR needs to check that. Why would I lie about a blatant pen like that?"

Manager Frank added: “They went 1-0 up, getting the margin you need, via a deflection,” Thomas Frank said. “From that moment to Ollie Watkins’ [second half] chance, we were completely on top.

“We created many dangerous situations without really having the margins. I’m really pleased with my team – especially in the second half, I feel we deserved more than we got. We played with great intensity, played forward and put them under pressure.”

“Of course we dream and want to end as high as possible. You could see [Villa] felt the pressure because they had to win. They have signed five great players [in the winter transfer window] – that’s what we’re competing against.”

Asked about his side’s penalty appeals,” Frank said: “[Axel Disasi’s foul on Kevin Schade] is a big, big penalty. I don’t understand how VAR can’t overturn it. Disasi clearly took Schade out.

“The second one was on a softer side, but you can’t go through the back of a player. I maybe understand that one a bit more, but the first one is a penalty.”

Claret & Blue verdict

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