Ollie Watkins proved the difference as Aston Villa got back to winning ways with a 1-0 victory over Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Both sides struggled in a cagey first half, though Tyrone Mings poked a shot straight at Mark Flekken before Ethan Pinnock deflected Youri Tielemans' header onto the roof of the net.

Watkins came back to haunt his former club early in the second half, beating Mark Flekken at his near post to score the winner, thanks to a slight deflection.

Morgan Rogers thought he had doubled their lead just over a minute later, coolly firing past the goalkeeper under pressure. However, Watkins had strayed just offside in the build-up, with the goal ruled out.

Brentford pushed for an equaliser, with Keane Lewis-Potter striking the post with their best chance, but they could not stop Villa from completing a first Premier League double over them. 

Villa move up three places to seventh, just two points behind fourth-placed Manchester City, while Brentford are 12th on 38 points.

Data Debrief: Watkins back with a bang

Villa certainly rode their luck at times against Brentford, but they managed to hold out for a crucial three points in the race for the top four.

Watkins has now scored six goals across seven Premier League appearances against Brentford, only netting more strikes against Brighton in the competition (seven). Indeed, only Phil Foden (seven) has scored more Premier League goals against the Bees than Watkins.

It means that Villa have ended their seven-game winless run in the Premier League after playing in Europe in midweek (D3 L4), with this their first such victory since beating Wolves 3-1 back in September.

It was another disappointing home game for Brentford though. They have failed to win their last seven at the Gtech in the Premier League (D2 L5), their longest winless streak on home soil in the top four tiers since a run of nine between September and December 2006 in League One.