Brentford vs Aston Villa Predictions

• Brentford have lost four of their last five games
• Aston Villa have lost only one of their last seven away fixtures
• Both teams have scored in ten of Aston Villa’s 16 league matches
• Ollie Watkins has struck eight Premier League goals this term

Red-hot Villa emerge as title contenders

It is their form at Villa Park which has propelled Aston Villa up the Premier League ladder but Unai Emery’s men have also improved on the road recently and will head to Brentford in a confident mood on Sunday.

After 16 games, Villa have accrued an impressive 35 points – just one shy of Arsenal and only two adrift of league leaders Liverpool heading into the weekend.

December is already looking like a good month for Emery’s men, who have taken down both Manchester City and Arsenal 1-0 to establish themselves as genuine title contenders.

Out of the top three, Villa have the softer couple of fixtures before Christmas as well and have a genuine chance of being top of the tree before Boxing Day.

Bees struggling to make an impression

Last season a visit to Brentford was a tough assignment but the Bees have less sting about them this campaign.

In the entirety of last season’s Premier League, Thomas Frank’s side lost only nine matches and their defeats tally is already at seven this term.

They have been missing Ivan Toney up top and the added loss of Bryan Mbeumo through injury is doing them no favours.

The 1-0 loss to basement boys Sheffield United was alarming and it meant the Bees have lost four of their five games in the top flight, only beating Luton Town at home as part of that run.

Villa’s away record is better than suggested

Villa are an exceptional force on their own patch but they are also underrated on their travels, having taken four points off Tottenham and Bournemouth in their last two league road trips.

The 1-1 draw away to Zrinjski in the Europa Conference League on Thursday was underwhelming but Emery rightfully put out a second-string side with his team already through and that should not impact the legs of the first team as a result.

 It is hard to find a team across Europe oozing more confidence than Villa right now and they are a decent bet to win away to Brentford.

Six of Villa’s last eight matches in all competitions have seen the net bulge at both ends, though, and a 2-1 win for the visitors could be the way to go in the correct score market.

One man who should be particularly inspired heading into this fixture is Ollie Watkins, who returns to old club Brentford having bagged eight Premier League goals already this term.

He will be determined to make his mark against the Bees and is a good bet in the goalscorer markets.