Analysis: Brentford late show another sign of Aston Villa's progress

Stifled and second best for long periods at Brentford, Unai Emery’s men still left with what may yet prove a precious point in the race for European football thanks to a stubborn refusal accept their fate, combined with their happy knack of always conjuring a goal when needed.

Douglas Luiz’s 87th minute strike, which cancelled out Ivan Toney’s opener for the hosts 22 minutes earlier, means Villa have netted in each of Emery’s first 19 matches in charge, the longest streak ever achieved by a new manager in the Premier League.

Neither can there have been many new bosses to have lost so few matches as Emery over the same period. Luiz’s leveller kept the number at four and Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium as the only away venue in which they have suffered a league defeat under the Spaniard. For a team which had lost 37 of its previous 75 matches prior to his arrival, the durability Emery has instilled so quickly remains among his most impressive achievements.

At Brentford it helped deliver a point of which the value will only really become clear in the coming weeks.

It felt a decent one at the final whistle, even though for the first time in six matches Villa were not celebrating victory. By Sunday afternoon, it was already looking better as Tottenham floundered at Newcastle. Beat Fulham on Tuesday night and Villa will climb up to fifth in the table. Luiz’s leveller also kept the gap to now 10th-placed Brentford remains at eight points with just six matches to go.

Yet while the late comeback might have demonstrated Villa’s mental strength, the day also delivered a reminder of the fragility underneath their challenge for European football. Though one of the most impressive aspects of their surge up the table has been the ability to overcome a not inconsiderable injury list, Emery had always been able to call on the key axis of Emi Martinez, Tyrone Mings, John McGinn and Ollie Watkins.

That all changed at half-time when Martinez, who had delivered something of a masterclass in commanding his area during the opening half despite suffering from a stomach illness, could continue no more.

It does not feel much of an exaggeration to claim his departure changed the course of the game. So essential has Martinez’s confidence and skill become to Villa’s passing style under Emery, losing their No.1 was akin to seeing the foundations ripped out of the team. While it would be tough for any replacement to match up to Martinez, neither does it help his understudy Robin Olsen currently looks a player severely lacking in conviction.

Villa were reliant on Kevin Schade serving up one of the misses of the season after Olsen, playing for the first time since the January FA Cup defeat to League Two Stevenage, fumbled the forward’s initial header. Granted, the Sweden international could do little about the goal, Toney arriving at the far post to finish at close range after Ashley Young appeared to misjudge Bryan Mbuemo’s cross. Yet it was impossible not to notice how a Martinez-less Villa looked far less sure of themselves. Brentford certainly sensed it and with better finishing – Mbuemo also blazed over from close range after Schade’s near unfathomable miss – the hosts would have had the points wrapped up by the 70-minute mark.

All eyes and ears will now be on Emery for an update on Martinez’s condition when the head coach speaks on Monday afternoon ahead of Fulham's visit. Villa supporters, at the very least, will feel a lot more confident heading into that match if their World Cup winner is back between the sticks.

Emery for one declared himself very happy with Saturday’s result. When Toney scored, it was the first time his team had trailed in a match since February 18 and the response was encouraging.

Yet the head coach may also, on reflection, feel a slight pang of frustration at not having changed things earlier when Villa came under the cosh in the opening part of the second half.

Calum Chambers, Lucas Digne and Bertrand Traore were getting ready to enter the action at least five minutes before Toney broke the deadlock but with Villa penned largely in their own third, Emery chose to hold back they defended a series of corners. The last of those, which saw the ball initially come back to home keeper David Raya, led to the goal as a pinpoint diagonal pass found Mbuemo and a few seconds later, the Bees were ahead.

Goals change games, of course, and it is impossible to know how things would have played out had Emery made the changes with his team still on level terms. At one goal down and with Brentford increasingly uncertain of whether to push for a second or hold on to what they had, they proved effective. Digne had a major role in the equaliser, firing in an early cross from the left which fell to Buendia, who kept his cool to feed Luiz for a simple finish.

Not so long ago the Brazilian would have been an unlikely saviour but less so now. After scoring just five Premier League goals in his first three seasons at Villa, this was his fourth of the campaign. Buendia, after having to wait more than two-thirds of the season to register his first assist, now has three in his last four matches.

He would have had another one here had Jacob Ramsey shown just a little more composure after being played in, while another pass went agonisingly out of Watkins’ reach in stoppage time as Villa threatened to steal three points. The one they did leave with may yet prove good enough.