Thomas Frank: Midfield battle will be key in Villa Park clash
Thomas Frank has heaped praise on Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn, ahead of Brentford’s visit to Villa Park on Saturday.
The Villa captain is set to return from suspension against the Bees, and the Brentford boss believes he has been the standout player for Unai Emery’s side.
He said: “He’s been the best player for them this season, a little bit underrated.
“Douglas Luiz is taking more of the headlines but for me, McGinn is the glue in that team.”
McGinn celebrates as he scores against Arsenal
With Brentford battling relegation and Villa in the hunt for Champions League qualification, the stage is set for a tense encounter on Saturday.
Speaking on whether the tension could play into his team’s favour, Frank said: “Villa Park is one of the best away grounds to go to, and hopefully we can keep that crowd quiet.
“Some teams you will need to defend deep against but it’s no secret that we want to press high against them, and the more we do that, the better.”
Frank will be keen to forget Brentford’s last visit to Villa Park, as the Bees shipped three goals in the first 15 minutes to lose 4-0.
He said: “That was a bad day. Villa Park is a very difficult place to play but we know if we hit a top level, we can get something from there.”
Ex-Bees striker Ollie Watkins makes it 4-0 to Aston Villa against Brentford, 2022
Frank will hope that talisman Ivan Toney can break a seven game goal drought, though the forward has impressed with his overall play.
The Brentford boss said: “There’s also a bit of talk about Haaland at Man City right now, good strikers will go through spells where they are not scoring.
“It’s just a matter of time before he scores.”
Toney celebrates after scoring against Wolves
Brentford seem to be emerging out of their injury crisis, with Kevin Schade potentially available for a long-awaited return this weekend.
Saturday will be too soon for Ethan Pinnock and Christian Norgaard, but they are not too far behind with their recovery.
Villa’s injury fortunes have taken a turn for the worse however, with both Emiliano Martinez and Ollie Watkins a doubt for Saturday’s game.
The latter has been a standout player for Aston Villa since he joined the Birmingham side from Thomas Frank’s Brentford in 2020.
When asked about the prospect of facing his former player, Frank said: “We are very aware of Ollie and all of his qualities, but there’s other very good players we need to stop as well.”
Watkins celebrates as he scores the opening goal in the Championship playoff second leg against Swansea
Victory on Saturday could see the Bees rise to 14th in the Premier League table, whilst a home win could put Villa five points ahead of Spurs, before they play on Sunday.
