Aston Villa held 2-2 by Brentford as Kristoffer Ajer snatches late equaliser at Villa Park
Villa Park stalemate continues
Aston Villa’s wait for a home win goes on after a feisty 2-2 draw with Brentford at Villa Park. The Bees remain unbeaten in the Premier League this season and move to fourth, while Unai Emery’s side have just one win from their first six league games.
Early exchanges and quick responses
Brentford seized the lead when Jaidon Anthony pressed Tyrone Mings into a loose pass and Kevin Schade located Igor Thiago, whose cross was cleared by Victor Lindelöf to the edge of the box. Yehor Yarmoliuk hammered home, 10 minutes in.
Villa replied within 88 seconds. Emi Buendía’s shot deflected off Jannik Schuster and Nicolas Jackson nipped around the back of Kristoffer Ajer to finish unmarked from the six-yard box, 12 minutes gone.
Emi Buendía went close to a lead before the break, crashing to his knees after Michael Kayode, fresh from scoring on his Italy debut during the international break, superbly blocked Johan Manzambi’s low strike. On the verge of half-time Caoimhín Kelleher made a brilliant, instinctive double save to deny Jackson and then John McGinn, while his opposite number Zion Suzuki was called into a fine save, pushing wide a Schade volley after the interval.
McGinn strikes, Ajer answers
Emery clenched both fists as Villa took the lead on 77 minutes. Manzambi located McGinn, who celebrated by dragging his shorts high above his waist in a retort to chants from the away end about his weight. The goal came two minutes after McGinn’s effort had cannoned in via Ajer’s calf.
The lead lasted 120 seconds. A roaming, towering Ajer burst forward from deep down the left channel, kept three defenders at arm’s length and forced the ball home, the shot catching a nick off Victor Lindelöf. It was Ajer’s second involvement in a two-minute swing, mirroring the earlier Villa and Brentford cancellations.
The draw also maintained Keith Andrews’ unbeaten record against Emery across four meetings. Ajer was booked late for questioning a decision by Craig Pawson, who drew ire from both sets of supporters. Brentford’s left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf kept supplying danger and Thiago remained a constant threat throughout.
For Villa, the point extends their winless run since the Villa Park revamp left the ground with just three stands in play, and Emery’s frustration after a previous “very shit” home display against Nottingham Forest was clear to see again.