Two of the struggling teams in the Championship face each other in a game at Villa Park on Saturday, and both are desperate to make a fresh start in the month of September. It has been an awful start for Brentford, who are yet to win a game after their first five games, despite being expected to challenge for a mid-table position this year.
It hasn’t been much better for Aston Villa, they have five points so far but for a team supposed to be challenging at the top that is not good enough. The one positive is that they performed at their best just before the international break, picking up a win and a draw in two games that saw them perform much better. This is a month where they can show us their class and climb up the table.
Aston Villa Form
Many people predicted that Aston Villa would be up near the top of the table this season, me included and so far they have been a huge disappointment. They are still more than capable of challenging but they can’t afford many more off days and this month could really do with being the month that they turn up the heat.
So far they have won one games, drawn two and lost two to give them five points. That puts them in 18th place, but with the league being so tight they don’t have to do much to climb the table. The playoffs are just four points away and a good month would put Villa right into contention.
The next few games are going to shape the rest of the season for Aston Villa and the fans will want to see something in this game to give them some optimism going forward. They have the ability in the squad, now it is time to go out on the pitch and perform.
Brentford Form
I really didn’t expect to see Brentford struggling at the bottom of the league but so far they have been very poor. They have just two points in games that they drew, and they are yet to win a game in what has been a disappointing start.
Their two draws have come at home against Wolves and Bristol City, but with this game being away they need to do something they haven’t done yet and pick up a point away from home. Aston Villa is not the easiest of places to visit and if the real Aston Villa turn up then this could be a tricky day for Brentford. Like make other clubs, Brentford need to find some form this month, they have had a bad start but looking at the table, a couple of wins together will move them out of the relegation zone.
Team News
Perhaps the answer to Aston Villa’s problems has been with them all along. In the last two games they have performed much better, with Conor Hourihane playing a big part in both games. In their only victory of the season he scored a hat trick, before following it up with another good performance in the draw at Bristol City. He is a very creative midfielder who is good at this level and he could be the one that drives Villa forward over the coming weeks.
Brentford need to find a way to score goals regularly if they are to move away from the relegation zone. Players like Neal Maupay and Ollie Watkins need to lead that charge and they are going to be important for Brentford.
Top Betting Tips
This is an important game and an important month for both of these clubs, although it looks like a huge task for struggling Brentford. I am happy to back Aston Villa to win this game, they are not at their best but I don’t think they need to be to be able to beat Brentford right now.
Aston Villa are available to back at 19/20 with Coral and Stan James, a great price for a team with so much quality and the promise of so much more to come. I think we will see Aston Villa improve and they will climb the table, hopefully starting with a win in this game before moving onto bigger and better things. I am backing Aston Villa to beat Brentford, they are priced at 21/20 which I think represents great value against a struggling Brentford team who have shown very little so far in the season.