Report and reaction: Aston Villa 3 Brentford 3
Exciting 3-3 Draw Between Brentford And Aston Villa At Villa Park
Zanka, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa all scored goals to even out the game after Watkins scored in the first half and Morgan Rogers scored one minute after the second half began. However, Zanka was able to score again and neither team was able to claim a victory in the Midlands. Both teams had to settle for one point each.
Watkins Scores, Team Leads At Halftime
Thomas Frank decided to modify his team lineup in three ways after they recorded a goalless draw against Brighton earlier in the week.
The set of modifications included giving Bryan Mbeumo his debut playtime since the start of December. Furthermore, Sergio Reguilón and Mikel Damsgaard were also added to the starting lineup.
This implied that Keane Lewis-Potter, Yehor Yarmoliuk and Ivan Toney were all substituted and did not start the current match, even though they had been in the starting line-up for the past two games in the previous week.
The team who lost against Manchester City on Wednesday evening had six new players, including Ollie Watkins, a previous member of the Bees' team. Ollie took charge of the team's attack at Villa Park.
Brentford attacked aggressively from the very beginning and generated the initial significant opportunity of the day.
A complex and sophisticated maneuver occurred, where Damsgaard passed the ball to Wissa, then the play went to Reguilón who shot the ball out of bounds.
On the sixth minute, Mbeumo made an attempt to score by taking a free-kick from the edge of the area. Unfortunately, the ball went too high and passed over the wall, hitting the side netting instead of the goal.
Jensen appeared to be his usual cool and collected self while playing in midfield. Villa did not seem to be posing much of a threat to Flekken during the initial 20 minutes of the game. The Dutch player had no trouble gathering different crosses and free-kicks.
The remarkable Damsgaard passed a angled ball to Mbeumo and he did an outstanding job of controlling it perfectly and then passed it over to his teammate Wissa to make a strike. Unfortunately, Diego Carlos made a swift recovery and blocked the Bees' scoring attempt.
Ajer performed excellently twice in removing obstacles from the inside of the court as the match gained pace. Mbeumo made a swift response at the opposing end, yet couldn't locate Damsgaard on the left flank during the counter-attack.
Afterwards, Villa investigated and Ajer took charge of the defense by diving in front of Rogers' shot from outside the box, but Villa managed to score shortly after.
In the game, John McGinn sent a pass towards the penalty area's right side. Former player of the team, Watkins, connected with the ball and directed it with his head towards the goal. Although the keeper tried his best to prevent the ball from going in, he couldn't stop it, and the home team went ahead six minutes before the end of the first half.
Bees Score 3 Goals In 9 Mins; Zanka, Mbeumo, Wissa Hit Target
Villa began the second half aggressively and quickly scored another goal as Youri Tielemans passed the ball to Rogers who was open near the area.
In the winter transfer window, a new player arrived and his first touch allowed him to take a shot on goal. He didn't make any mistakes and shot the ball into the bottom corner, increasing the lead between the home team and the Bees.
However, Brentford bounced back effectively and reduced the gap in score just before the 60-minute mark.
Wissa and Reguilón posed a real threat on the left side of the pitch, and it was from their efforts that the Bees managed to score their first goal.
Damsgaard effectively maintained possession of the ball after a cross and redirected it towards the scoring area, allowing Zanka to score in an unconventional manner using his non-kicking leg.
The Bees were doing well and managed to even the score in an impressive two-minute period.
A remarkable action on the left side resulted in Mbeumo connecting with Reguilón's cross while in mid-air, showcasing Brentford's equalizing goal in an impressive manner.
There was even more excitement in a thrilling game when the Bees scored the winning goal at the 68th minute mark.
Charged up and eager, Brentford executed a fast free-kick play that swiftly reached Jensen.
Afterwards, the Danish player expertly sent a precise pass to Reguilón, who then handed it to Wissa on a silver platter. Wissa gracefully finished the shot, causing an uproar of excitement among the visiting fans and concluding an unbelievable nine-minute period for Frank's team.
However, with only nine minutes remaining in regular time, the pendulum would swing once more.
Leon Bailey reached the edge of the pitch and made a high pass to Watkins, who headed it for his second goal and the third for Villa, during the afternoon.
The team playing at home regained control of the game, and Lucas Digne attempted a spectacular shot from within the penalty box which sailed above the crossbar that was facing the Holte End of the stadium.
Both teams tried their hardest to come out as the victor, however Michael Salisbury ended the exciting match in the western area by adding seven more minutes.
Aston Villa fielded a team consisting of Martínez as the goalkeeper, Konsa, Diego Carlos, Pau, and Digne (who was subbed out for Àlex Moreno in the 90th minute) in defense. Douglas Luiz and Tielemans (who was then replaced by Diaby in the 90th minute) played as the midfielders, while McGinn played as a forward. Bailey (who was later replaced by Duran in the 90th minute), Rogers (who was subbed out for Zaniolo in the 69th minute), and Watkins played as the team's forwards.
The players who did not participate in the game were Olsen, Chambers, Kesler-Hayden, Iroegbunam, and Kellyman.
Brentford lineup consisted of Flekken in goal, Roerslev, Ajer, Zanka, Collins, and Reguilón, who was later substituted for Lewis-Potter in the 76th minute. The midfield featured Janelt, Damsgaard, and Jensen, who was substituted for Onyeka in the 85th minute. The attacking positions were occupied by Wissa and Mbeumo, who were later substituted for Toney and Maupay respectively in the 81st and 85th minute.
The aforementioned players, namely Strakosha, Ghoddos, Baptiste, and Ji-soo did not participate. Other possible sentence variations: - Strakosha, Ghoddos, Baptiste, and Ji-soo were absent from the game. - Strakosha, Ghoddos, Baptiste, and Ji-soo didn't feature in the match. - Strakosha, Ghoddos, Baptiste, and Ji-soo were not utilized during the game.
"A Great Point," Says Frank
Thomas Frank, the head coach of Brentford, commended his team for their attitude in turning around a losing situation of 2-0 against Aston Villa, enabling them to avoid ending in a loss.
The initial period was normal. In my viewpoint, we guarded admirably, except for a single incident that's infuriating me," he expressed.
The second half was normal. We let in a goal within a minute, which was quite annoying as well.
However, following that, full recognition must be given to the players: their attitude, personality, perseverance, and all the effort they put in to reverse the situation.
There are few teams that could accomplish what was seen at Villa Park against Aston Villa, especially considering their current great form and home advantage. It was a truly impressive feat.
In general, we earned a decent point, although we had a chance to secure victory. The players are giving it their all, yet I was hoping for a triumphant three points.
"Mbeumo: We Share A Powerful Connection"
Bryan Mbeumo praised Brentford's unity after their exciting 3-3 tie against Aston Villa.
He mentioned that their performance in the first half and initial part of the second half was not impressive; however, he admired everyone's determination to make a comeback.
There are certain areas we must improve upon. We understand that it's a very challenging venue to compete in, as they boast a promising team with skilled players. However, the unity within our team is significant and a major factor.
Mbeumo made his first starting appearance on December 6 and scored Brentford's second goal out of the three they had.
He admitted that it was all gut feeling. When he noticed that Reguilón was on the sideline, he endeavored to get in the optimal spot inside the box to score. He respected Reguilón's skills and experience on the field.
