Last-gasp Kodjia rescues Villa
Jonathan Kodjia’s goal in the last of five added minutes salvaged a point for Aston Villa after Brentford looked to have pulled off a successful smash and grab that would have put them joint top of the Championship.
The visitors had gone ahead eight minutes from time through Neal Maupay’s second of the night and Villa’s unbeaten start to the season looked to be over, which they would have found hard to take, given that Maupay was lucky not to be sent off before half-time for a stamp on John Mcginn that went unpunished.
The striker joined in late as Mcginn tangled with Brentford’s Lewis Macleod and clearly landed his studs on the Villa player’s leg long after the ball had gone. Although the incident will surely bring a retrospective ban for Maupay, his continuing participation ultimately worked against Villa.
“Listen, referees have a difficult job and [Romaine] Sawyers was in the way but the boy stamped on Mcginn and he’s scored two,” Steve Bruce, the Villa manager, said. “I don’t like to see red cards but the one thing you don’t want to see is players stamping on people.
“So I think we deserved to get the equaliser. The first half was as good as I’ve seen us play.”
The result maintained Villa’s unbeaten start to the season, as it did Brentford’s. But while Dean Smith’s side have been anxious not to lose players as they try to make the most again of a tight budget and a youthful squad, Villa are still adding to their resources.
Anwar El Ghazi, the Dutch winger signed on a season-long loan from Ligue 1 side Lille, was paraded on the field at half-time and Yannick Bolasie’s loan move from Everton is expected to be completed today.
Villa played some intense and exciting football but tired in the closing stages and Brentford, having soaked up pressure for long periods, were the more dangerous side in the final quarter.
They had gone ahead after 23 minutes as Maupay powered a shot high into the Villa net after Ollie Watkins had played a cross back across goal.
As the breathless tempo continued, Maupay went close with a header into the ground that had to be cleared off the line but in the 39th minute Villa were level. Kodjia sent Ezri Konsa one way and then the other on the left-hand side of the 18-yard line, before bursting into the Brentford box and unleashing a powerful shot past Daniel Bentley at the near post.
Inevitably, Villa’s energy levels began to subside as the second half unfolded and Brentford, having soaked up long spells of pressure, finished well.
Villa goalkeeper Orjan Nyland produced a good save to keep out a powerful drive from substitute Nico Yennaris, but could not prevent Maupay grabbing his fifth of the season. The striker forced the ball over the line after the goalkeeper failed to hold a fierce attempt by Watkins.
Only a terrific save by Nyland denied Brentford a third from a Said Benrahma header moments later, but Kodjia had the last word with the final action of the night.
He met Ahmed Elmohamady’s cross, which skimmed off the head of defender Chris Mepham, with an unstoppable header into the far corner, giving Bentley no chance. Aston Villa (4-4-1-1) Nyland; Tuanzebe (Hourihane 83) Chester, Jedinak, Hutton; Elmohamady, Whelan (Hepburn-murphy 85), Mcginn, Adomah (Green 70); Grealish; Kodjia. Subs Taylor, Bjarnason, Moreira (g), Elphick. Booked Kodjia, Chester, Grealish. Brentford (4-3-3) Bentley; Dalsgaard, Konsa, Mepham, Barbet; Sawyers, Mceachran (Yennaris 60) Macleod (Mokotjo 46); Canos (Benrahma 72), Maupay, Watkins. Subs Woods, Judge, Jeanvier, Daniels (g). Booked Watkins, Benrahma.
Referee Jonathan Moss (West Yorkshire).