Aston Villa return to Villa Park on Sunday afternoon, aiming to sustain their remarkable title challenge against a Brentford side looking to arrest a recent dip in form.
The Villans enter the matchday in third place, trailing leaders Arsenal by just four points. They have emerged as the league’s form team since late September, winning more points (43) and more games (14) than any other Premier League side in that span. While a disappointing home defeat to Everton recently snapped an eight-game winning streak in Birmingham, Unai Emery’s men have since steered their ship back on course with three consecutive wins across all competitions.
Standing in their way is an eighth-placed Brentford outfit led by Keith Andrews. The Bees have already beaten Villa twice this season in domestic action, but they arrive on the back of consecutive 2–0 Premier League defeats to Chelsea and Nottingham Forest.
Aston Villa vs Brentford – Match preview and team news
- Date: Sunday, 1 February 2026
- Kick-off: 14:00 GMT
- Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham
- Referee: Tim Robinson
- VAR: Paul Tierney
- Last Meeting: Brentford 1–1 Aston Villa (Brentford win on pens, 16 Sep 2025), League Cup
Team News
Aston Villa
Unai Emery manages a significant injury concern regarding talisman Ollie Watkins, who was forced off during the midweek Europa League win over Salzburg with a suspected hamstring injury. While a recent scan was “not clear” but provided “no bad information,” a final decision on his inclusion is expected Sunday morning.
New signing Tammy Abraham is poised to lead the attack if Watkins is unavailable. Villa remain without John McGinn (knee), Youri Tielemans (ankle), and Boubacar Kamara (knee). However, Ross Barkley has returned to full training and could feature.
Brentford
Keith Andrews is sweating over the fitness of Kristoffer Ajer (ankle) and Mikkel Damsgaard (knee), both of whom were withdrawn early during last weekend’s loss. While their injuries are not as severe as initially feared, they remain doubtful for the trip to Birmingham.
Josh Dasilva, Fabio Carvalho, and Antoni Milambo all remain long-term absentees with knee injuries. Dango Ouattara and Sepp van den Berg are in line to start if the doubtful duo miss out.
Form
Aston Villa
Villa have been formidable at home, collecting 25 points from 11 Premier League matches at Villa Park this season. Notably, the club has never lost to Brentford in 10 previous home league meetings (W4 D6), their longest unbeaten home record against any opponent. They have also developed a reputation for clinical long-range shooting, scoring a league-high 13 goals from outside the box this term. Recent results include a landmark 2–0 away victory at Newcastle and a spirited 3–2 comeback against RB Salzburg in Europe.
Brentford
The Bees have struggled for consistency on the road, losing eight of their 11 away matches this season. They have yet to record a single draw on their travels, with all three of their away defeats arriving by a two-goal margin. Their recent results show a dip, having suffered back-to-back 2–0 losses against Chelsea and Forest. However, Igor Thiago remains a potent threat, with only Erling Haaland outscoring the Brazilian forward so far this season.
Predicted Lineups
Aston Villa Predicted XI: Martínez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; Sancho, Luiz, Onana, Buendía; Rogers; Abraham
Brentford Predicted XI: Kelleher; Kayode, Van den Berg, Collins, Henry; Yarmoliuk, Janelt; Ouattara, Jensen, Schade; Thiago
How to Watch Aston Villa vs Brentford?
The match will be broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports Premier League. Coverage is scheduled to begin at 13:00 GMT.
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