Aston Villa suffer 'devastating blow' in final moments of Brentford draw

Douglas Luiz will miss Aston Villa’s two upcoming Premier League fixtures against Arsenal and AFC Bournemouth after picking up his 10th booking of the season against Brentford.

The Brazilian, walking a suspension tightrope with nine yellows ahead of Saturday’s 32nd game cut-off point, made it unscathed to the dying embers but was penalised in the final minute for a poorly-timed tackle. Luiz had to attempt to win the ball as Brentford had a chance to counter but the execution let him down.

Brace scorer Ollie Watkins had to console Luiz afterward as the midfielder, with his shirt tugged over his head, came to terms with the decisive moment. Unai Emery must now head to the drawing board to work out yet another midfield dilemma, his plans interrupted yet again just after John McGinn’s return.

Villa’s captain missed three league fixtures after a straight red card against Tottenham Hotspur, putting pressure on other midfielders to step in. Slight rotation is vital at such a hectic point in the season but Emery’s had bad luck with injuries and suspensions inflicting restrictions to his plans.