Brentford vs. Aston Villa: Predicted XI at Griffin Park

Dean Smith makes his return to Brentford on Wednesday evening. Can his Aston Villa side get the job done against his former club?

This match serves as a different kind of homecoming for Dean Smith, as he will return to face the club that he led to start the 2018-2019 EFL Championship campaign.

The first meeting this season produced an all-too-familiar roller coaster match, seeing Jonathan Kodjia net in stoppage time to ensure the spoils of the match were split evenly between the two sides.

Brentford seem to be back to their goal-scoring ways, as they have netted 16 times in their last 5 games across all competitions. In fact, their match against Nottingham Forest at the weekend saw their prolific striker Neal Maupay break his streak of 4 consecutive matches with a goal. I imagine they will approach this match in a very similar style that Aston Villa saw from Sheffield United, with a 3-man back line, thrusting players forward in the attack.

More from Aston Villa News

Aston Villa Predicted XI (4-3-3): Kalinic; Hutton, Elphick, Mings, Taylor; Whelan, McGinn, Hourihane; El Ghazi, Abraham, Adomah.

Substitutes: Steer, Hause, Elmohamady, Jedinak, Kodjia, Green, Davis.

Just one change from the starting XI that took on the Blades at the weekend. Adomah enters back into the lineup for Kodjia, offering above all else, a pair of fresh legs on the pitch to start the match.

New signing Tom Carroll has been ruled out for the match as has skipper James Chester. Both players will hope to be fit to face West Bromwich Albion at Villa Park Saturday.

WHEN: 13 February, 2019

WHERE: Griffin Park

PREDICTION: 1-2 win (Abraham, Hourihane)

Home/Aston Villa News