Premier League: Watkins inspires 1-0 win for Aston Villa vs Brentford; Wolves hold Everton to 1-1 draw
Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins returned to haunt his old club Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday, scoring the only goal of the game to boost his side’s push to qualify for Europe next season.
Watkins, booed by the Bees fans throughout after celebrating a late winner in this fixture last season, broke the deadlock in the 49th minute with a deflected effort that went straight through goalkeeper Mark Flekken.
The England striker thought he had helped to double the lead almost immediately afterwards when he teed up Morgan Rogers but the goal was disallowed as Watkins was marginally offside.
The reprieve gave Brentford the momentum, with Keane Lewis-Potter hitting the post shortly after the otherwise impressive Axel Disasi slipped and brought down Kevin Schade inside the box but referee Jarred Gillett was unmoved.
Villa withstood late pressure to secure the win, only its second in eight league games, which puts it seventh on 45 points from 29 games – two points behind fourth-placed Manchester City, though having played a game more.
Brentford, now winless in seven home games, is 12th on 38 points from 28 games.
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Villa was the better side in the first half though it caused themselves early problems, with captain John McGinn indebted to Youri Tielemans for crowding out Yoane Wissa after McGinn was dispossessed in the box.
Tyrone Mings wasted Villa’s best opportunity before the break, scuffing a weak shot straight at Flekken when Tielemans found him unmarked with a free kick.
Brentford’s Ethan Pinnock was fortunate to see his block from a Tielemans header spin over the bar before Wissa had the ball in the net, but the flag was long up for a clear offside.
Villa took a deserved lead four minutes after the restart, with Watkins’s shot taking a flick off Nathan Collins and past Flekken for his sixth goal for Villa in six games against Brentford.
The visitors had the ball in the net some 90 seconds later, with Ramsey again feeding Watkins who laid it on a plate for Rogers, but Watkins had strayed narrowly offside.
Brentford pressed for an equaliser but without creating many clear chances and the defeat dented its faint hopes of an unlikely European campaign next term.
Wolves vs Everton ends in a 1-1 draw
Wolverhampton Wanderers came from behind to grab a 1-1 Premier League draw at home to Everton on Saturday night, with Marshall Munetsi getting the goal that gave it a vital point in its battle against relegation.
With 18th-placed Ipswich having lost to Crystal Palace earlier in the day, Wolves had a great chance to put some daylight between themselves and the bottom three against the visiting Toffees, and with some better finishing they might have claimed a victory.
In a game that was short on quality but offered plenty of excitement, Jack Harrison gave Everton the lead in the 33rd minute with a deflected effort that flew past Jose Sa and into the net.
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Wolves levelled before the break when Munetsi steered home a perfectly-angled pass from Jean Ricner-Bellegarde.
Wolves threw everything at their visitors in the second half, leaving some wide-open spaced at the back, but despite enjoying the lion’s share of possession they could not fashion a winner, with the draw moving them to 23 points, six clear of Ipswich and Leicester, which is 19th.
