Brentford bring Villa's winning run to an end with 1-1 draw
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Brentford's Ivan Toney celebrates scoring his 20th goal of the season.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON - Brentford brought Aston Villa’s run of five straight wins in the Premier League to an end in west London on Saturday, with the visitors securing a late 1-1 draw through Douglas Luiz after Ivan Toney had scored his 20th goal of the season for the Bees.
The result leaves Villa in sixth place in the league on 51 points, one ahead of Liverpool who have a game in hand, but still battling to secure themselves European competition next season.
“Today, we didn’t play good but it’s a very good point,” Aston Villa boss Unai Emery told reporters, noting that Brentford have lost only twice at home all season.
Despite the draw, Villa’s late equaliser means they have scored in all 19 of their league matches so far under Emery, the longest Premier League scoring streak by any club under a new manager.
After an action-packed but goalless first half, Toney broke the deadlock in the 65th minute, striking a cross from Bryan Mbeumo straight between the legs of Villa’s substitute keeper Robin Olsen to bag his 20th goal in all competitions this season.
Villa appeared to be slipping towards defeat until Emiliano Buendia rushed forward in the 87th minute and cut the ball back for Brazilian midfielder Luiz to fire in from close range.
The Bees fans then thought their side had struck a late winner in the 90th minute when second-half substitute Youane Wissa raced down the middle and lashed the ball past Olsen, only for his strike to be ruled out for offside.
Villa’s Ollie Watkins, having scored 11 times in his previous 12 league appearances, had a quiet game against his former club until deep into stoppage time when he very nearly scored, just failing to bring a cross from Buendia under control.
The visitors’ first-choice keeper Emiliano Martinez, who had a busy first half including an early point-blank save from Bryan Mbeumo and a crucial block on a Kevin Schade pass towards the feet of Toney, was substituted at halftime due to a stomach bug.
Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz celebrates levelling the score in the 87th minute.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Emery told reporters his World Cup-winning stopper had felt too unwell to continue and was a doubt for their next fixture on Tuesday at home against Fulham.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank was philosophical after his side let the win slip through their fingers in the closing minutes, leaving them in 10th place in the league on 44 points.
“They have been very unlucky not to have won. It was close to a perfect performance for me. When you’re only leading 1-0 in football it can happen – you never know,” he said. REUTERS
