Club Brugge's Belgian defender #44 Brandon Mechele (L) fights for the ball with Aston Villa's English forward #11 Ollie Watkins during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg football match between Club Brugge KV and Aston Villa FC at the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges, on March 4, 2025. NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP
London, United Kingdom (AFP)—Ollie Watkins returned to haunt old club Brentford once more as Aston Villa closed on the Premier League’s top four with a 1-0 win in west London on Saturday.
The England striker has now scored six times in his last six games against the Bees but had Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken to thank for his part in the winner.
Victory lifts Villa up to seventh and within two points of the top four to round off a fine week for Unai Emery’s men.
After progressing to the FA Cup quarter-finals last weekend, Villa took a giant stride towards the last eight of the Champions League with a 3-1 win away win in the first leg of their last 16 tie against Club Brugge on Tuesday.
Emery had to cope without the injured Emi Martinez, while Marcus Rashford dropped to the bench in the Spaniard’s only two changes from midweek.
Villa had won just one of their last seven Premier League games to place their chances of a Champions League return next season in serious jeopardy.
But they ground out a vital three points as Brentford’s prolific forward duo of Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa failed to fire.
After a flat first half, the game came to life just four minutes into the second period when Watkins’ powerful low shot slipped through Flekken’s grasp.
Moments later the visitors thought they had a second as Watkins this time played provider for Morgan Rogers to stroke home.
However, a VAR review for offside came to Brentford’s rescue.
The home side did most of the pressing in the final half hour.
Keane Lewis-Potter came closest to an equaliser when his shot from outside the box hit the post.
Villa, though, should have made a nervy finale more comfortable when Watkins raced clean through but got the execution on an attempted chip over Flekken all wrong.
A first away league win in nearly two months brings Villa right back into contention for the Champions League places.
A top-five finish is almost certain to be enough due to the strong performance of English sides in European competition this season.
Villa are now just one point outside the top five as five points separate Manchester City in fourth from Fulham in 10th.