Aston Villa draw 2-2 with Brentford on return

Aston Villa returned from an extended international break with a 2-2 draw against Brentford at Villa Park on Saturday, their first competitive match in three weeks.

The result came in Villa's opening game back after the new 2026/27 September-October international window, which kept Unai Emery's squad away from league action for an unusually long period.

Nicolas Jackson and John McGinn scored for Villa, but Brentford held on for a share of the spoils in B6.

João Gomes marked the occasion by making his Villa Park debut, while Matteo Ruggeri was withdrawn during the match through injury. Both players acknowledged the game on social media afterwards.

Several first-team players had been on international duty during the break. Zion Suzuki, Matty Cash, and Johan Manzambi were among those to feature for their respective countries.

Those not called up travelled to Spain, where Villa contested a friendly against Sevilla and continued training at Bodymoor Heath throughout the window.