Aston Villa take on Brentford in the Premier League this afternoon
Aston Villa's Pau Torres
Aston Villa's Pau Torres
Unai Emery has named his Aston Villa starting XI to face Brentford in the Premier League.
It’s the club’s first away game of the new league campaign, and they’ll be looking to claim their first victory after being held to a 0-0 draw against Newcastle United last weekend.
Emery is without the suspended Ezri Konsa, who was sent off in the second half against Newcastle after denying Anthony Gordon a goalscoring opportunity.
Emi Martínez, meanwhile, returns from suspension and starts today. Andrés García and Ross Barkley are both sidelined.
Villa come into the game with a strong recent record at Brentford, winning their last two league visits after losing four of the previous five.
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The Bees, however, boast an impressive tradition of their own - they have never lost their first home top-flight fixture in any of their nine seasons at this level, scoring at least twice in every one.
Today, Martínez starts in goal, behind a defence of Matty Cash, Tyrone Mings, Pau Torres and Lucas Digne.
Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana form the double pivot, while Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, and John McGinn are expected to support striker Ollie Watkins.
Villa starting XI: Martinez, Cash, Mings, Torres, Digne, Kamara, Onana, McGinn, Tielemans, Rogers, Watkins.
Subs: Bizot, Proctor, Bogarde, Maatsen, Rowe, Buendia, Malen, Guessand, Burrowes.
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