Aston Villa finally end drought only to be knocked out by Brentford

Last Updated on 17 September 2025

Brentford hosted Aston Villa in the third round of the Carabao Cup in a game that went to penalties.
Aaron Hickey cancelled out Harvey Elliott’s first half strike with both sides coming close to snatching a winner, late in the game.

But with neither Premier League side able to score a second, the game went to penalties after normal time.

Hakon Valdimarsson turned from zero to hero, saving two penalties to knock Aston Villa out.

Aston Villa score for the first time this season but poor start to the season continues

Harvey Elliott’s shot from outside the box was spilled by Valdimarsson, giving Villa their first goal of the season.

The misery in the final third for the Villans had been tough to take. Having played four games in the Premier League, they had taken forty shots without getting a goal.

According to the New York Times, every team in the English pyramid had scored at least one goal to start the season.

But despite boasting world class attackers like Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers and new signings like Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott, Villa couldn’t buy a goal.

That streak finally came to an end, much thanks to Valdimarsson’s howler, but it still ended in a painful defeat for Unai Emery’s men.

After scoring their first goal of the season, Aston Villa will hope they can also get their first win of the season as they travel to promoted side, Sunderland.

Stan Collymore rips into Unai Emery’s poor recruitment as doubts over the Spaniard emerge

The former Villa striker pulled no punches in blaming Emery for Villa’s mediocre start to the 2025/26 campaign.

Aston Villa are currently 19th in the Premier League with two points, and the only Premier League side to not register a win in all competitions so far this season.

As far as Collymore is concerned, Emery’s recruitment is central to Villa’s struggles.

He slammed the Donyell Malen and Ian Maatsen signings as ‘£60m pair’, brought in on high wages but haven’t been able to perform at the highest level. Further adding that apart from 3 or 4 signings, all of the other 23 signings during Emery’s tenure have been bang average.