 **Brentford 0**
 **Aston Villa 1**
(Watkins 49′)
**Ollie Watkins came back to haunt Brentford once again.**
A goal early in the second half from the former Bees striker meant Thomas Frank’s side failed to win at home once more.
Brentford have now gone eight games without a win at the Gtech Community Stadium, after struggling to create opportunities to score against Villa.
There were few chances for either side in a first half low on quality.
Youri Tielemans picked out an unmarked Tyrone Mings at a free-kick but he could only shoot straight at Mark Flekken before the goalkeeper saved low to his left from the Belgian midfielder.
But Flekken was beaten far too easily by Watkins after the interval, with the striker’s shot going through the Dutchman for his sixth goal against Brentford since leaving west London in 2020.
Villa thought they had doubled their lead minutes later, only for a Morgan Rogers goal to be ruled out by VAR for a marginal offside against Watkins in the build-up.
Flekken did go some way to redeeming himself late on, standing tall to deny the England international as he raced towards yet another goal against his former employers.
The home side huffed and puffed in search of an equaliser but came no closer than a Keane Lewis-Potter effort from the edge of the box that struck the post.
**Brentford:** Flekken, Ajer (Ji-soo 90+2), Collins, Pinnock, Lewis-Potter, Norgaard, Janelt (Jensen 76), Damgaard, Mbeumo, Wissa, Schade.
Subs not used: Valdimarsson, Mee, Fredrick, Yarmoliuk, Konak, Maghoma, Morgan