Aston Villa throw away two-goal lead in 3-3 Premier League thriller vs Brentford

Aston Villa's hopes for a top-four finish in the Premier League took a hit as they squandered a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Brentford, who managed to score three times within nine minutes during a thrilling encounter on Saturday.

Villa seemed to be solidifying their fourth-place position after Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers netted goals on either side of half-time. However, a rapid succession of goals from Mathias Jorgensen, Bryan Mbeumo, and Yoane Wissa saw Brentford flip the script.

Despite a header from Watkins salvaging a point for the hosts, the result has given Tottenham an advantage in the race for guaranteed Champions League qualification. Tottenham, currently trailing by three points in fifth place, are set to face relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest on Sunday and also have an extra game to play.

The stalemate extends Brentford's winless streak to nine games, marking it as a missed opportunity. The match began evenly, with Villa nearly taking the lead halfway through the first half when Lucas Digne's corner was narrowly saved by Bees' goalkeeper Mark Flekken.

Watkins scored his 23rd goal in all competitions and 17th in the league in the 39th minute, heading a cross from John McGinn, who had just returned from a three-game suspension. Flekken attempted to scoop the ball away and Leon Bailey followed up, but the goal decision system confirmed that Watkins' header had crossed the line.

Villa's lead was doubled just 32 seconds into the second half, with Rogers marking his Villa debut with a stylish goal. The recent recruit from Middlesbrough latched onto a Youri Tielemans pass, danced into the box and found the bottom corner.

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