Aston Villa travel to west London on Tuesday for a crucial third-round Carabao Cup tie against a Brentford side in solid form.
The main narrative surrounds the visitors, who are desperately searching for their first goal of the season after four goalless Premier League games.
Unai Emery has pledged to respect the competition, but a mounting injury crisis will force him to rotate his squad heavily.
Brentford, meanwhile, will be full of confidence after a spirited draw with Chelsea at the weekend.
Brentford vs Aston Villa – Match Preview and Team News
- Date: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
- Kick-off: 8 pm BST
- Venue: Gtech Community Stadium, London
- Last Meeting: Brentford 1-0 Aston Villa, 23 August 2025, Premier League
Team News
Brentford
Manager Keith Andrews is set to heavily rotate his squad, a strategy he also employed in the second round. He receives a significant boost with the return of midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard from illness. With Gustavo Gomes the only long-term absentee, Andrews has a strong group to choose from, with Hákon Valdimarsson expected to start in goal.
Aston Villa
Unai Emery is contending with a significant injury list. Boubacar Kamara, Amadou Onana, and now Youri Tielemans are all ruled out. This will force a much-changed side, with loan signings Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott expected to make their first starts for the club.
Form
Brentford
The Bees have lost just one of their last five matches in all competitions and are unbeaten in their last three at home. Their confidence will be high after Fabio Carvalho’s stoppage-time equaliser secured a dramatic 2-2 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. That result followed their 2-0 cup win at Bournemouth in the previous round.
Aston Villa
Villa’s goalless start to the Premier League season is their worst since 1997. A 0-0 draw at Everton on Saturday halted a two-game losing run, but the team’s inability to score remains a major concern. Emery will be hoping this cup tie can provide the spark needed to ignite his team’s season.
Predicted Lineups
Brentford predicted XI: Valdimarsson; Ajer, Van den Berg, Pinnock; Hickey, Onyeka, Jensen, Henry; Damsgaard; Schade, Carvalho.
Aston Villa predicted XI: Bizot; Cash, Lindelof, Torres, Maatsen; Bogarde, Buendía; McGinn, Elliott, Sancho; Malen.
How to watch Brentford vs Aston Villa
The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Football in the UK. Coverage begins at 7:00 pm BST.
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