Aston Villa 3-1 Brentford

Aston Villa got back to winning ways with a commanding Premier League victory against Brentford at Villa Park.

The hosts blew their opponents away in 13 first-half minutes, scoring three times in a superb spell of attacking football.

Morgan Rogers broke the deadlock with a delightful curling effort from the edge of the box before Ollie Watkins was hauled down in the box, with the striker stepping up to bury the spot kick.

Matty Cash bagged his first goal of the season to make it 3-0 at half-time and Mikkel Damsgaard’s 52^nd-minute strike proved to be nothing more than a consolation for the Bees.

Victory ended a five-game winless run in the top flight and moved Villa back into the top half of the table.

Leon Bailey and Tyrone Mings came into the starting XI at Villa Park, with the latter making his first Premier League start since picking up a long-term injury against Newcastle United on the opening day of last season.

The home supporters were right behind their side from the off, sensing the need to make life difficult for a Brentford team that had picked up a single point from six top flight road trips.

Villa responded by controlling the early exchanges and creating presentable openings for John McGinn and Watkins, who fired the first shot on goal at Mark Flekken.

The Bees became more aggressive in their press and paid the price after 21 minutes as the hosts launched a fluid, fast attack from deep inside their own half that resulted in the opening goal.

Boubacar Kamara took two players out of the game with a superb turn before feeding Rogers, who galloped forward and fed Watkins, with the No27 receiving a return pass and curling an unstoppable shot into the top corner.

Bailey fired a fierce drive at Flekken as Villa flowed forward, and it wasn’t long before they had a chance to double their lead via the penalty spot.

Watkins, who had been taken down in the box by Ethan Pinnock, picked himself up to take the spot kick, squeezing his shot under the outstretched hand of Flekken.

A bamboozled Brentford couldn’t contain the home side, and it soon became 3-0 when Cash lashed home a volley from a Rogers cross that had made its way through to him at the back post.

Villa were in the mood for more goals as they emerged for the second half, seeing McGinn prod narrowly wide from Lucas Digne’s cross shortly after the restart.

Watkins came close to adding another against his former side, watching on as his header was clawed away by Flekken, before the visitors hit them with a sucker punch.

Damsgaard picked up Bryan Mbeumo’s cross at the back post and made a better angle for himself before slamming a shot past Emi Martínez.

A loose Brentford back pass provided Watkins with a golden opportunity to restore the three-goal cushion, but his effort was kicked away by Flekken.

Durán replaced his fellow forward and was also denied by the boots of the Brentford ‘keeper when his snapshot almost squeezed through Flekken’s legs.

The Colombian blasted another shot at goal as Flekken’s busy day continued, but there were no further goals as Villa wrapped up a much-needed win.