LONDON :Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins returned to haunt his old club Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday, scoring the only goal of the game to boost his side’s push to qualify for Europe next season.
Watkins, booed by the Bees fans throughout after celebrating a late winner in this fixture last season, broke the deadlock in the 49th minute with a deflected effort that went straight through goalkeeper Mark Flekken.
The England striker thought he had helped to double the lead almost immediately afterwards when he teed up Morgan Rogers but the goal was disallowed as Watkins was marginally offside.
The reprieve gave Brentford the momentum, with Keane Lewis-Potter hitting the post shortly after the otherwise impressive Axel Disasi slipped and brought down Kevin Schade inside the box but referee Jarred Gillett was unmoved.
Lewis-Potter said it was “definitely a penalty”, telling Sky Sports: “He clears him out. I have spoken to lads who have seen it back and it is a pen. VAR need to check that.”
Brentford head coach Thomas Frank agreed, saying: “Disasi’s clearly taken him (Schade) out.” Villa boss Unai Emery, however, told reporters it was “clearly not a penalty”.
Villa withstood late pressure to secure the win, only their second in eight league games, which puts them seventh on 45 points from 29 games – two points behind fourth-placed Manchester City, though having played a game more.
The victory, following Tuesday’s 3-1 win at Club Brugge, was also only the second win Villa have recorded in nine games after a midweek Champions League match this season.
Emery was full of praise for goalkeeper Robin Olsen, making his first league start this season in place of the injured Emiliano Martinez.
“To be a substitute for Emiliano Martinez, the best goalkeeper in the world, is not easy,” Emery said.
Brentford, now winless in seven home games, are 12th on 38 points from 28 games.
Villa were the better side in the first half though they caused themselves early problems, with captain John McGinn indebted to Youri Tielemans for crowding out Yoane Wissa after McGinn was dispossessed in the box.
Tyrone Mings wasted Villa’s best opportunity before the break, scuffing a weak shot straight at Flekken when Tielemans found him unmarked with a free kick.
Brentford’s Ethan Pinnock was fortunate to see his block from a Tielemans header spin over the bar before Wissa had the ball in the net, but the flag was long up for a clear offside.
Villa took a deserved lead four minutes after the restart, with Watkins’s shot taking a flick off Nathan Collins and past Flekken for his sixth goal for Villa in six games against Brentford.
The visitors had the ball in the net some 90 seconds later, with Ramsey again feeding Watkins who laid it on a plate for Rogers, but Watkins had strayed narrowly offside.
Brentford pressed for an equaliser and had a second penalty shout waved away, when Schade went down too easily under pressure from Disasi.
But they failed to create many clear chances and the defeat dents their faint hopes of an unlikely European campaign next term.
“I think we performed more than enough to get more of the game than we did,” Frank said.
