Aston Villa 3 Brentford 3: Watkins salvages point with late equaliser after hosts COLLAPSED and threw away two-goal lead
OLLIE WATKINS silenced the Brentford boos – but Aston Villa are clinging on to their top four dream by a thread.
The ex-Bees striker netted twice – but Unai Emery will know this is a game his side should have won.
Instead, after taking a two-goal lead, Brentford staged an incredible comeback with three goals in nine second half minutes.
Villa were heading for an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Thomas Frank’s side.
But it was Watkins who spared their blushes when he headed the equaliser with 10 minutes to go to round off a thriller.
Brentford fans, who had been giving Watkins stick from the away section, had the final word as the player left the field with a chant of “Champions League, you’re having a laugh.”
They may have a point. The result means that Tottenham, three points behind Villa, now play twice before Emery returns to Arsenal.
It looked to be plain sailing for Villa when Watkins headed them ahead before the break – and Morgan Rogers scored his first goal for the club 32 seconds after the restart.
But then Villa crumbled. Zanka was fortunate to see his shot wrong-foot keeper Emi Martinez.
And Villa decided go into giveaway mode as Bryan Mbuemo and Yoane Wissa turned the game upside down.
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The point will be welcomed by Brentford who edged away from the relegation zone.
But Emery will not like what he saw as the top four advantage was handed to Ange Postecoglou.
The Spaniard will now be hoping it is the top five who secure Champions League football this season.
With Watkins and Ivan Toney battling for a place in the England squad, it was the Brentford striker who was left out of Frank’s starting line-up.
Toney has not scored for the Bees since mid-February and the Brentford boss decided to make the change.
And early on, the Dane appeared to have injected some lift into the Brentford attack.
They went close in the opening minute, when Wissa fed Reguilon and he fired inches wide.
Mbuemo – who came in for Toney – then lifted a free-kick over the wall and into the side netting after six minutes – a move which left the Bees fans at the other end of Villa Park convinced he had scored.
Brentford keeper Mark Flekken went down following a late challenge at a corner from Diego Carlos – which caught the keeper in the face.
Carlos is fast becoming a folk hero among Villa fans – and he continued to make a nuisance of himself in the Bees box.
But it was pedestrian stuff for the first half hour.
Villa were gradually coming into it though and Lucas Digne swung a corner against the post and Flekken had to scramble it out.
But two goals either side of half-time put Villa in control.
They took the lead after 39 minutes when skipper John McGinn – back from suspension – delivered a cross which was met by Watkins whose header crossed the line before Flekken could scoop it out.
Leon Bailey was on hand to make sure
Brentford were not happy as ref Michael Salisbury blew for halftime with Brentford on the attack.
They made their feelings known to the match official.
But Villa extended their lead after the break when Youri Tielemans fed Rogers and he turned and scored with a firm drive at the near post.
The game turned as Brentford got lucky with their opening goal. Reguilon’s deep cross found Damsgaard who set up Zanka.
But the defender appeared to have messed up his shot as he failed to make a clean contact.
It fooled Martinez and went in – the look on Zanka’s face said it all as it was not what he intended. But it was enough to give him his first goal in two and a half years and spark a Bees revival.
Two minutes later, Reguilon’s cross again caused problems and Mbuemo met it on the volley to find the net and shock Villa Park.
Then, after 68 minutes, Reguilon was involved once more as he crossed for Wissa who was left unmarked in the six yard box and scored with ease.
But it was Watkins who stopped the rot with his 17th goal of the season to level at 3-3.
Emery had three subs waiting to come on, but Villa’s 80th-minute equaliser changed all that.
Bailey’s cross was misjudged by Flekken – and Watkins took full advantage to head home.
Villa piled on the pressure in the closing stages and Digne’s bicycle kick fizzed over the bar from eight yards out.
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