Thomas Frank in for nightmare afternoon as Unai Emery recalls Ollie Watkins – Aston Villa confirmed XI v Brentford
Aston Villa will look to continue their fine run of form under Unai Emery when they take on Brentford in the Premier League.
The Gtech Community Stadium plays host to the league clash on Sunday (17 December), with Emery unsurprisingly selecting a very strong starting XI.
The Spaniard changed things up for the Europa Conference League group stage clash against HSK Zrinjski on Thursday (14 December), and he has done the same for the meeting in West London.
And one player who has been recalled for the first whistle is Ollie Watkins, with the star striker having watched all of the recent European trip from the bench.
The England ace instead played the entire 90 minutes in the league win over Arsenal last Saturday (9 December), where he played a key role as the hosts secured a superb 1-0 victory.
As per Sofascore, Watkins had one shot on target, one shot off target and one shot blocked against the Gunners, which represents his ambitions to constantly find the back of the net.
Moreover, the attacker showed his willingness to do the dirty work and fight for his team, with the 27-year-old making one tackle, one interception and one clearance.
Watkins will certainly be very keen to find the back of the net against the Bees, with the striker last scoring in the league against Bournemouth on 3 December.
Along with his goal and assist in that 2-2 draw, the forward made two key passes and completed his only attempted cross [Sofascore].
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez also returns to the starting XI against Brentford, with Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Diego Carlos, Pau Torres and Alex Moreno lining out in front of him.
John McGinn and Boubacar Kamara also get the nod from the start, with Moussa Diaby and Jacob Ramsey also starting alongside Watkins.
In other Aston Villa news, one 17 G/A Villa star has been “unleashed” under Emery, he must be kept at Villa Park at all costs amid Premier League interest.