ARTFUL KODJIA THE HERO AS VILLA SNATCH A POINT
Just 10 seconds of the five added minutes were left when Jonathan Kodjia buried the header that sent Villa Park into raptures.
Aston Villa were on the way to a defeat they did not deserve when Ahmed Elmohamady swung over a cross, the ball glanced off Chris Mepham and Kodjia stretched his neck muscles to send the ball past goalkeeper Daniel Bentley.
It was the finale this pulsating contest deserved. A convincing win could have sent either of these teams to the top of the Championship, and on this evidence there is every reason to believe both will be near the summit come May.
Dean smith’s energetic, inventive Brentford twice took the lead through Neal Maupay, who was lucky not to be sent off for an ugly stamp in the first half, but Villa showed real courage and no little skill to fight back each time.
After a turbulent summer that approached financial apocalypse, a promotion bid should be very much on the agenda again for Villa, particularly if the club’s wealthy new owners get the chequebook out.
Kodjia was back to his bullish best, Jack Grealish was irrepressible, and in John McGinn, signed for £2.75million from Hibernian, steve Bruce has found a real gem.
Additional attackers would probably have turned this draw into a win and that area could yet be enhanced before the August 31 deadline.
there are two new arrivals as it is. Anwar El Ghazi, a winger signed on loan from Lille, comes with two Holland caps to his name, while a season-long deal for Everton’s Yannick Bolasie should be announced today.
Kodjia would readily accept the type of service those two can provide. After 18 months of troubling injury, the Ivory Coast striker has rediscovered his best form in the past two games.
‘I’m back now,’ he said. ‘It was very, very hard last season for me because of the injury. Now I am very fit and confident. It was an important goal for the team.’
this had looked a clear Villa victory at the outset, with Bentley twice saving from Grealish and more chances beside.
But Brentford are a dangerous outfit, a hungry young team with a clear identity. though the average age of smith’s starting line-up was only 23½, there was a maturity to their play and the manner of their opening goal in the 23rd minute was hugely impressive.
the move started at the back and progressed swiftly into attack through crisp passing, giving sergi Canos space on the right. His deep cross was nodded back by Ollie Watkins and Maupay lashed his finish high into the net. Maupay then saw a header cleared off the line by James Chester.
Villa, though, responded. Kodjia turned Mepham and let rip with a drive that Bentley did well to palm over. And in the 39th minute Kodjia blasted the equaliser. Albert Adomah fed the Villa striker, who bullied Ezri Konsa to burst into the box and fire past Bentley.
Kodjia risked a second yellow card by celebrating in the crowd but referee Jon Moss elected against making a rather severe intervention.
Moss then missed a stamp by Maupay on McGinn. It was a nasty
incident and the FA will surely take retrospective action. ‘It’s disappointing when he scored twice but I am sure they will look at it,’ said Bruce.
Smith made tweaks that saw Brentford end the game in the ascendancy. Orjan Nyland got down sharply to stop a low drive by Nico Yennarris that was travelling at pace but Villa’s goalkeeper had no answer in the 82nd minute. Maupay prodded in after reacting smartly to Nyland’s save from an Ollie Watkins shot.
Nyland then stopped Said Benrahma’s far-post header and with virtually the last action of the match, Kodjia salvaged a point for Villa.
Smith said: ‘ The disappointing part is that we missed the chances at 2-1 that would have put the game to bed.’