Aston Villa 1 Brentford 1 - Report

A few months on and after a summer overhaul which has seen nine new players arrive at a cost of more than £50million, the team is supposedly improved but no less predictable.

For the fifth time in seven Championship matches this season, Villa conceded in the final ten minutes and, for the second time in four days, it cost them two points as a win went begging.

Unlike Sunday, when Roberto Di Matteo could rightly feel a sense of injustice at Nottingham Forest's late leveller, Brentford were fully deserving of their late strike, which was claimed by John Egan but seemed to take at least a couple of deflections on the way in.

The Bees, managed by Dean Smith who grew up watching Villa's glorious team of the early 1980s from the terraces, recovered from an insipid first-half display which the hosts took the lead through Jonathan Kodjia's first goal.

For Di Matteo, problems and questions continue to mount during an unconvincing start to the season. His team left the field to loud boos from an unhappy home crowd.

The Villa manager has not enjoyed the greatest fortune with injury during the early weeks of the campaign. Jack Grealish was missing from the matchday squad, while things got little better during the game as Ross McCormack sustained a kick which forced him off at the break and Ritchie de Laet also departed to injury midway through the second half.

Aaron Tshibola and Albert Adomah were also absent after failing to recover in time from groin and calf strains respectively.

Mile Jedinak was fit enough to make his home debut and replaced Gary Gardner in the heart of midfield, with Gestede replacing Grealish in what was an incredibly attacking Villa line-up.

Brentford's starting XI meanwhile included former Walsall playmaker Romaine Sawyers.

Jedinak might have had a first goal for his new club in the opening minutes as Villa pushed forward in search of an early breakthrough.

Visiting keeper Dan Bentley had already been called into action to keep out a low shot from Jonathan Kodjia. From the resulting corner, Jedinak was found at the far post by McCormack but his volley lacked power and was in any case directed straight at visiting skipper Harlee Dean, who hacked clear.

Villa had been denied time and time again during Sunday's 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest with new boy Kodjia among their most unlucky players. But the wait for the Ivory Coast international's first goal in claret and blue proved worth it as he opened the scoring fashion, picking the ball up on the right of the box before cutting inside and unleashing a shot which flew past Bentley and into the top corner.

Moments later, Villa might have led by two when De Laet pounced on a loose pass in midfield and fed Gestede. But the Benin international almost seemed to have too much time and sent his shot straight from the edge of the box straight at Bentley.

The theory the striker does better when acting on instinct was almost proved later in the half when he got his head to a McCormack cross and directed a header inches wide of the target.

Brentford, for all their all their patient passing, lacked substance and strength but there was enough uncertainty in Villa's defence to keep them interested and they might have levelled before the break when Elpick miscontrolled and Scott Hogan nipped in, only to shoot straight at Pierluigi Gollini in the Villa goal.

Then, in first half stoppage time, Aly Cissokho's block denied Nico Yennaris when the midfielder suddenly found himself alone, 12 yards from goal. Josh Clarke then fired over as the visitors enjoyed a strong finish to the period.

Villa lost McCormack to injury at the break and their unease continued at the start of the second period with Gollini forced into a save at the near post from Dean, after another uncharacteristic Elphick misjudgement. It was increasingly nervy stuff as Brentford began to enjoy the bulk of possession. De Laet departed after preventing substitute Sully Kaikai from getting a clean strike to a Maxime Colin cross at the far post.

Kodjia continued to look Villa's most promising attacker and might have got a second had he made a clean connection with Jordan Ayew's cross. The latter then curled an effort high and wide of the target after getting some rare time and space on the edge of the box.

With ten minutes remaining, Bentley denied Kodjia after the striker had shown great determination to beat two defenders on the edge of the box.

But with two minutes to go Brentford got the goal their possession and probing deserved when Egan forced the ball home at the far post. Gollini saved from Woods as the visitors smelled a winner.

It never came but for Di Matteo, the season gets no easier.

Villa (4-2-3-1): Gollini, De Laet (Bacuna 67), Elphick ©, Chester, Cissokho, Jedinak, Westwood, Ayew, McCormack R (Amavi HT), Kodjia, Gestede (Gardner 82) Subs not used: Baker, Richards, Green, Gardner, Bunn (gk).

Brentford (4-4-2): Bentley, Bjelland, Dean ©, Egan, Yennaris (McEachran 82), Woods, Clarke (Kaikai 56), Sawyers, Hogan, MacLeod (Vibe 77) Subs not used: Saunders, McCormack A, Barbet, Bonham (gk).