Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery has named his starting XI to face Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Leon Bailey trained at Bodymoor Heath on Saturday and starts on the bench this afternoon, but Youri Tielemans has not been named in the squad. Douglas Luiz and Lucas Digne are both serving one-match bans this afternoon after they picked up their fifth yellow cards of the season in the win over Arsenal.
Emery has made four changes to the side which beat the Gunners last weekend as Matty Cash, Alex Moreno, Moussa Diaby and Jacob Ramsey come in for Digne, Tielemans, Luiz and Bailey.
Villa are searching for their 25th league win of 2023, which would set a new club record of top-flight victories in a calendar year. They come into the clash having beaten both Man City and the Gunners last week, which propelled Villa into the top three.
Brentford are in contrasting form having lost four of their last five, but Thomas Frank’s side are strong at home having won three of their last four at the Gtech Community Stadium. Villa are winless in five visits to Brentford having last won there back in 1953.
Emi Martinez starts in goal behind a defence of Ezri Konsa, Diego Carlos, Pau Torres and Moreno. In midfield, John McGinn will likely partner Boubacar Kamara in midfield, while Ramsey plays off the left and Cash from the right. Diaby will support Ollie Watkins in attack.
Villa XI: Martinez, Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Moreno, Kamara, McGinn, Cash, Ramsey, Diaby, Watkins
Subs: Marschall, Proctor, Chambers, Lenglet, Dendoncker, Zaniolo, Iroegbunam, Bailey, Duran.
