Aston Villa

Steven Gerrard has been speaking to the media before Aston Villa's FA Cup third-round match against Manchester United on Monday.

Here is what he had to say:

• On injuries, Ollie Watkins is due back with the group on Saturday, Ashley Young has an outside chance and Tyrone Mings is back from suspension.

• Gerrard says he understands transfer rumours, but refused to talk about individuals while it is still speculation.

• On Philippe Coutinho, Gerrard said "when there is something concrete, supporters will be the first to know".

• Gerrard said Coutinho "was special" at Liverpool and said the Brazilian is someone he has an incredible amount of respect for. 

• On facing United, Gerrard said "this is not a case of focusing on the league" and his side will go to Old Trafford and try to qualify for the next round.

• Gerrard said with the level of players at United and their new coach, Villa will be in for a "really tough game".

• On returning to Old Trafford for the first time since he was a player, Gerrard said the rivalry is not there any more.

An 88th minute opener... check ✅

Image source, Getty Images

A 93rd-minute missed penalty... check ✅

Image source, Getty Images

When Manchester United and Aston Villa met back in September, it was pure chaos.

Bruno Fernandes missed a 93rd-minute penalty as Aston Villa won at Old Trafford for the first time in 12 years in a pulsating match.

Kortney Hause had put Villa ahead with a powerful header two minutes from the end of normal time before the defender handled inside the box to present United with a lifeline.

However, Fernandes blazed high over the bar in front of the Stretford End as United's unbeaten start to the Premier League season came to an end.

Image source, Getty Images

Clinton Morrison says Philippe Coutinho would be a fantastic signing for Aston Villa after the Brazilian was linked with a reunion with his former team-mate Steven Gerrard.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily, Morrison said: "It would be a really good signing and it could happen. Steven Gerrard is there and he played with Coutinho. He knows his ability and I think it would be a brilliant move for Coutinho and also Aston Villa.

"He would take them to the next level. He’s a fantastic footballer and we haven’t seen the best of him since he left Liverpool. He’s 29 years of age and still has a lot to offer so if Villa manage to pull off that it would be a great signing.

When asked what it would be like to play under a former team-mate, Morrison said: "It’s difficult but Steven Gerrard was his captain and if he respected him then I think you will respect what he’s doing. The two of them have got a relationship and friendship and I think it will be fine.

"I don’t think he probably would be thinking about going to Aston Villa and that is not disrespectful to them because they are a big football club, but having Gerrard is helping massively to get the signings and I do think the hierarchy will back Gerrard because he has started ever so well."

Hear more on Coutinho's links to Aston Villa from 17'50 on BBC Sounds

Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard has personally made a call to Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho, who he played alongside at Liverpool, over a potential loan move to Villa Park for the 29-year-old Brazilian. (El Partidazo de Cope, via Mirror), external

Villa have 'no chance' of signing 24-year-old Liverpool and England centre-back Joe Gomez. (Athletic - subscription required), external

Meanwhile, the Villans are interested in Bologna left-back Aaron Hickey, with the 19-year-old Scot said to be "well liked" by Gerrard's coaching staff. (Birmingham Mail), external

Want more transfer news? Read Thursday's full gossip column

We're already five days into the January transfer window, so here's a brief round-up of the best Aston Villa transfer gossip to drop so far:

• Aston Villa are the latest Premier League club to be linked with Borussia Monchengladbach's Switzerland midfielder Denis Zakaria, but face stiff competition with the 25-year-old also wanted by Liverpool, Leicester, Arsenal and Everton. (Mail), external

• Arsenal are interested in signing 23-year-old Brazil midfielder Douglas Luiz (Sun on Sunday), external, while West Ham are eyeing a move for Netherlands winger Anwar El Ghazi, who is reportedly available for loan along with Trezeguet. (Football Insider), external

• A loan deal has been reached between Napoli and Manchester United for 24-year-old defender Axel Tuanzebe, which will see him cut his stint at Villa short to play in Serie A until the end of the season. (Manchester Evening News), external

Catch up with all the latest transfer news by tuning into BBC Radio 5 Live's Transfer Gossip Daily podcast on BBC Sounds.

You can also get all the best transfer chat via our gossip column here and track every done deal throughout January here.

Aston Villa visit Manchester United in the FA Cup on Monday, but who will make it into Steven Gerrard's starting XI?

You'll be able to pick - and share on social media - your own line-up for every Villa game throughout the campaign.

It's up to you how to approach it - you could go for the team you WANT the boss to pick or the one you THINK he will.

Either way, it's time to choose your Villa team to face United

Image source, Getty Images

Kirk, Lincolnshire: Go big or go home, Coutinho is an upgrade on anything we have and he may like to join up with Gerrard again. Also need a good 15+ goal scorer to aid Watkins as Ings just doesn't seem to fit the bill or stay fit. Also Mings is overrated and if we could sign a better CB to work with Konsa I'd take that all day. (not sure who mind!!)

Damien McDonnell, Dublin, Ireland: The centre of midfield is the main area that we really need to strengthen. I firmly believe Yves Bissouma would be a great signing for us as he brings all of the attributes that we are currently lacking in midfield, that being strength and tough tackling. It would also be worth going in for Donny van de Beek. He's quality and is wasted at Man Utd.

Matt Billin, Shrewsbury: Get in Tagliafico and Aribo. Left back and centre mid need work. Fund this with El Ghazi and Trezeguet sales.

Culum Digva, Birmingham: Aston Villa should sign Ryan Kent, Mikkel Damsgaard and Dele Alli this January. We should not sign Joe Gomez unless we sell Kortney Hause. We should sell Anwar El Ghazi, but sell Bertie Traore. We cannot sell McGinn or Martinez - they are our best players.

Have your say on Villa's transfer window here

The transfer window opened on Saturday and will remain open for business until 31 January at 23:00 GMT.

Who do you want to see Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard bring in to the club this month? Where does the squad need strengthening?

And are there any players that need to move on?

Give us your views on Villa's ins and outs here

Aston Villa join Arsenal, Everton, Leicester and Liverpool as the latest Premier League club to be linked with Borussia Monchengladbach's Switzerland midfielder Denis Zakaria, 25. (Mail), external

Want more transfer news? Read Monday's full gossip column

Mike Taylor, BBC Radio WM

This was Villa’s fourth defeat since Steven Gerrard became manager, but as the others were against the current top three, this felt like the first giveaway. Brentford are too good to be underestimated by anyone in the Premier League, but Villa were controlling the match for much of the first half and ought to have built their lead.

Villa did not officially confirm that Ollie Watkins’ absence was caused by Covid, although this is generally assumed. Whatever the reason, Danny Ings filled the gap with an impressive finish, but might have had more. Emi Buendia seemed to enjoy Ings’ presence, linking up effectively with the striker in the first half in particular. Buendia has largely fallen short of very high expectations in his early months with Villa but caught the eye here, harrying the home players into giving up possession, and using the ball creatively and at pace. New year, new standard.

As the game wore on, though, Villa were worn down. They may feel that the punishment they received was disproportionate; there were not that many mistakes, and not that many Brentford chances, but Gerrard’s point was that Villa should have been harder to break down.

Arguably they missed the leadership of Tyrone Mings, suspended for this game, and although there was plenty of youthful talent on the bench, this occasion called for more experienced know-how than was available. Calmly but firmly, Gerrard spelled out the lessons afterwards, and his tone suggested that the Villa players may be hearing those lessons quite frequently over the next fortnight.

Image source, Getty Images

• Since the start of last season, Aston Villa have lost more Premier League games after scoring the first goal than any other side in the competition (8).

• Brentford’s equaliser was their first ever Premier League goal scored from outside the box, leaving Watford as the only side without a goal from distance this season.

• Emiliano Buendia been in involved in more goals in English league football against Brentford than any other side (five – three goals, two assists), with the Argentine scoring or assisting a goal in all five of his appearances against the Bees.

• Yoane Wissa is Brentford’s top goalscorer in all competitions this season with six goals.

Michael Beardmore, BBC Sport

Brentford boss Thomas Frank perhaps summed it up best after the Bees' come-from-behind 2-1 win when he said it "should not be possible" for them to sit above Aston Villa in the Premier League table.

The £58m Villa paid out for the two men - Emi Buendia and Danny Ings - who gave them a perfect start at the Brentford Community Stadium is money the Bees can only dream of splashing out, even if the deals were admittedly financed by Jack Grealish's £100m departure to Manchester City.

Nonetheless, the point remains that the two clubs are operating in different financial stratospheres and the Brentford model is one that deserves applauding.

As fellow promoted sides Norwich and Watford languish amid a seemingly four-horse battle to avoid the three relegation spots, Brentford can genuinely set their sights on a top-half finish in their first ever Premier League campaign.

They did ride their luck at bit at times against Villa, who will rue not making the most of the large spells they enjoyed on top in both halves.

Even in defeat, the impact Steven Gerrard has made in such a short space of time was still evident and if the blossoming understanding between Buendia and Ings - should the latter stay fit - grows further, then Villa can surely eye a top-10 finish too.

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard accused his side of lacking battling qualities after their 2-1 defeat at Brentford.

Villa suffered back-to-back losses for the first time since Gerrard took over as Yoane Wissa and Mads Roerslev earned the Bees victory despite Danny Ings' opener.

"That’s five goals we’ve conceded in the last two games, which isn’t good enough," Gerrard told BBC Match of the Day.

“The front three performed well enough for us today, we just didn’t get the second goal.

"No way should we have lost this game with the performance we gave, but if you concede the goals that we did, it costs you.

“We need more grit and need to be tough to play against. We need teams to know it’s not going to be easy to score or play against us. We’ve come away with nothing because we haven’t defended three situations well enough."

We're now less than an hour away from kick-off between Brentford and Aston Villa at Brentford Community Stadium.

Click here to follow all the action

You'll be able to catch up with all the post-match reaction on this page after full-time.

Hosts Brentford make two changes from their 1-0 defeat by Manchester City as Christian Norgaard returns from suspension and Sergi Canos is also restored to the starting line-up by Bees boss Thomas Frank.

Young duo Dominic Thompson and Shandon Baptiste drop to the bench, while Kristoffer Ajer, back after two months out with a hamstring injury, is also among the substitutes but Bryan Mbeumo again misses out with a calf problem.

Brentford XI: Fernandez, Pinnock, Jansson, Bech Sorensen, Roerslev, Norgaard, Jensen, Onyeka, Canos, Wissa, Toney.

Subs: Cox, Thompson, Stevens, Ajer, Janelt, Bidstrup, Ghoddos, Baptiste, Forss.

Image source, BBC Sport

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins misses out on a return to his former club, absent from the matchday squad entirely as the visitors make three changes for the trip to the Brentford Community Stadium.

Bertrand Traore replaces Watkins, John McGinn returns from a period of isolation at the expense of Morgan Sanson in midfield and Kortney Hause comes in for Tyrone Mings, who is serving a one-match suspension for accumulating five bookings.

Ashley Young remains out with a fractured toe as Villa include 16-yeard-old defender Josh Feeney among five teenagers on their substitutes' bench.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash. Konsa, Hause, Targett, McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Buendia, Ramsey, Traore, Ings.

Subs: Steer, Feeney, Sanson, Iroegbunam, Trezeguet, El Ghazi, Chukwuemeka, Philogene-Bidace, Archer.

Image source, BBC Sport

Mike Taylor, BBC Radio WM

Brentford away is no easy starter for Aston Villa in the new year.

Villa have tripped up at Brentford several times in recent memory, although circumstances have changed at both clubs since those Championship meetings, and so of course has the venue.

Villa are, however, entering 2022 with some momentum, hopefully not dissipated by losing two recent fixtures to recent Covid problems, and were by no means disgraced in the defeats against the Premier League’s top three, the only setbacks under Steven Gerrard’s management so far.

There is a timely opportunity for somebody – either Axel Tuanzebe or Kortney Hause – in the centre of Villa’s defence, in the absence through suspension of Tyrone Mings. Tuanzebe’s future has been the subject of speculation this week, and his opportunities have been limited recently by the form of Mings and Ezri Konsa.  Similarly, Hause has been mostly in the shadows since his goal at Old Trafford, the peak of Villa’s season to date.

Gerrard spoke on Friday of his admiration for Thomas Frank and his coaching methods.

This is an interesting meeting not only of two coaches but two clubs, with very different backgrounds, but a similar recent willingness to be bold and change. Both may see today’s game as a good opportunity to push towards their respective targets this season.