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Brentford boss Thomas Frank felt aggrieved by former colleague Ollie Watkins after Aston Villa’s 3-1 win over the Bees at Villa Park.
Frank believes Watkins knew exactly what he was doing to win a penalty ahead of Villa’s second goal on Wednesday night.
The Brentford manager was frustrated by the spot-kick his team conceded as he reckons Watkins bought the foul from Ethan Pinnock by dangling out a leg to force contact. It was a crucial moment, too, as Villa only had a one-goal advantage before referee Lewis Smith pointed to the spot.
“I definitely want to argue the penalty,” Frank said in the post-match press conference. “For me I don’t think it’s a penalty. I think Ollie kicked back and hit Ethan. There was also an arm on the shoulder.”
The frustration was clear not only in Frank’s words but also his body language as he thrust his arms in the press room. Nonetheless, the Danish manager wanted to emphasise Watkins winning a penalty was not the sole cause for his side’s defeat as it was a poor night on the whole.
Thomas Frank believes Ollie Watkins bought Aston Villa's penalty against Brentford.Thomas Frank believes Ollie Watkins bought Aston Villa's penalty against Brentford.
Thomas Frank believes Ollie Watkins bought Aston Villa's penalty against Brentford. | Getty Images
“That’s not the reason we lost, that’s very important,” Frank admitted. “I know all the headlines will be, ‘Thomas Frank doesn’t think it’s a penalty, blah, blah’, but I hope it’s clear we have no excuses. I did want to highlight though the situation that didn’t go our way.
“The players have a great mentality and they keep believing but on the day we didn’t have the final product,” Frank added.
Wednesday’s result saw Villa leapfrog Brentford in the Premier League standings, with two points now separating the two teams in seventh and ninth position respectively. It’s possible the Villans and the Bees could be just as close when they face one another again, on March 8.
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