The miserable run continues for Aston Villa as they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Brentford on penalties. Both sides made numerous changes to their starting XIs, but neither team really dominated the game.
Brentford Performance
Keith Andrews' side probably executed the game plan they set out for the match. Defending in a low-block and trying to hit Villa on the counter was clear to see, but in open play they didn't really look like scoring. Their main threat, as it has been so far this season, was set plays, which saw Sepp van den Berg's header from a corner saved sharply by Marco Bizot.
Villa's press when Hákon Valdimarsson had the ball, made it difficult for the Bees to play out from the back, forcing them to go long. Villa dealt with them rather untroubled and would regain control of the ball.
In the second half, Brentford's goal came from nowhere. A long throw into the box from Frank Onyeka was headed by Pau Torres in the path of Aaron Hickey, who superbly volleyed home in the 56th minute.
Aaron Hickey 😮💨pic.twitter.com/FgtpXwmmIK
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) September 16, 2025
Momentum was in their favour as for the large part of the last 30 minutes, Brentford had the majority of the ball. They quickly had another chance from a long throw, but this time for 19-year-old Benjamin Arthur, who had his flick-on parried away by Bizot.
No real chances followed for the Bees as the game went to penalties. Fabio Carvalho, Reiss Nelson, Yehor Yarmoliuk, Mikkel Damsgaard all stepped up and put their penalties away as they won 4-2 thanks to Valdimarsson's saves. Andrews will be happy with the win, but would probably like to see some more improvements in open play.
💬 "I feel as though we're growing as a group"
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) September 16, 2025
Keith Andrews' thoughts post Aston Villa#BREAVL | @pensionbee pic.twitter.com/VyE6xYIECi
Aston Villa Performance
The frustration continues for Villa. In the first half they controlled possession and at times there was an improvement in their forward play, but overall they were missing an attacking edge. Jadon Sancho linked up well with Ian Maatsen on the left side, but his lack of game time was rather clear to see.
Villa's press was causing Brentford problems and it was through John McGinn's tackle on Vitaly Janelt that led to their first goal in over eight hours of football. The ball fell to Harvey Elliott, who had a tame shot sneak under Valdimarsson, for his first goal since joining Villa.
Harvey's first goal for the Villa 👏 pic.twitter.com/LUYGjO1XDF
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) September 17, 2025
The energy and tenacity from McGinn that led to the goal is what Villa have been lacking all season and is what they need to show more of going forward. Not only does it rub off on other players, but it gets the supporters up for it as well.
However, Villa also struggled with Brentford's press when playing out from the back. They would block the midfield lanes, forcing Villa to play long balls into Donyell Malen, who struggled to win the duels, causing them to lose the ball more often. This was a problem for Villa trying to get up the pitch.
In the early part of the second half, Villa had their best chance to take the game away from Brentford. Sancho struck the post in the 50th minute, which he probably should have put away, despite it being his weak foot. After the Bees equalised, Villa didn't really react well.
It was only in the last 15 minutes of the game that Villa were on the push for the winner as Brentford seemed to sit back. Matty Cash had a close ranged effort saved before Morgan Rogers had two chances in the 85th and 93rd minutes. The latter was one he should have tucked away. Penalties then followed with, McGinn and Cash missing, whilst Ollie Watkins and Emiliano Buendía scored theirs.
Overall it was another disappointing display, with the only positives to take being the performance of Ezri Konsa and obviously finally scoring a goal.
Unai’s post-match thoughts 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/g6kdpsSJEl
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) September 16, 2025
Looking Ahead
Brentford's next match is a trip to Craven Cottage as they take on Fulham on Saturday. One point splits them with each team full of confidence after Fulham beat Leeds and Brentford winning on penalties last night.
For Villa, they have a tricky away fixture to Sunderland who are looking to go three games unbeaten. The Villans have to get back on track, their body language is poor and they can't seem to click. Everyone knows the talent is still there, but at the minute they are looking far from the team that played in the Champions League.
