Aston Villa's 2015/16 season
League Position: 20th in Premier League (Relegated) (2014/15: 17th)
Average league attendance: 33,690 (2014/15: 34,133)
Top league goalscorer: Jordan Ayew (7)
Aston Villa will compete in the second tier of English Football for the first time since 1988 after a disastrous 2015/16 which saw The Villains relegated from the Premier League with just three wins from 38 league games.
After guiding them to safety and an FA Cup Final in his first three months in charge, it was a summer of change under Tim Sherwood at Villa Park with ten players arriving and as many departing. Most notable among the departures were talismanic striker Christian Benteke who joined Liverpool and captain Fabian Delph who eventually moved to Manchester City. Among those coming in were Joleon Lescott [West Bromwich Albion], Rudy Gestede [Blackburn Rovers], and Jordan Ayew [Lorient].
A 1-0 opening day win away at AFC Bournemouth and a narrow defeat to Manchester United hinted at a respectable season for the West Midlands outfit. However as Summer turned to Autumn the results began to dry up. Local bragging rights were secured after a 1-0 win over Birmingham City in the Capital One Cup but a run of six straight league defeats in September and October marked the end of Tim Sherwood's time in charge as Villa sunk to 19th in the table.
Results and performances fared little better under his replacement Remi Garde, the Frenchman not tasting victory until mid January. Villa picked up eight points from five games in January and early February, including a 1-1 draw against eventual Champions Leicester City, to hint that a great escape might be on but a 6-0 defeat to Liverpool sparked a run of 12 defeats in 13 matches that saw The Villains 28 year spell in the Premier League come to an end. Garde was replaced by Eric Black in early April but relegation was confirmed after a 1-0 defeat to Manchester United on 16 April.
There was a boost for Villa fans earlier this month as unpopular owner Randy Lerner agreed a deal to sell the club to Chinese Businessman Tony Xia, bringing to an end his ten year association with the club.
The Ground
Villa Park Trinity Road Birmingham B6 6HE
Directions to Villa Park
The Manager
Eric Black remains in charge at Villa Park for the time being however former West Bromwich Albion boss Roberto Di Matteo is expected to take over within the next few days. Black scored nearly 100 goals in 265 games for Aberdeen and FC Metz during a ten year playing career, including the opening goal against Real Madrid in the 1983 Cup Winners' Cup final. After being forced to retire with chronic back trouble he began his coaching career at Celtic before a six month spell in charge of Motherwell. Black again lasted only six months, this time with Coventry City, before joining up with Steve Bruce at Birmingham City. Black spent three years at St Andrews and followed Bruce to Sunderland as his assistant in 2009. After leaving the North East in 2011 Black worked at Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool, Wigan Athletic, and Rotherham United before arriving at Villa Park in January 2016.
The First Meeting
21 September 1935, Football League Division One - Brentford 1 Aston Villa 2
Brentford: Mathieson, Bateman, Poyser, McKenzie, James, Watson, Hopkins, Robson, Holliday, Scott, Fletcher
Nearly 30,000 see Bees beaten at Griffin Park in Division One despite Jack Holliday goal
The Last Meeting
4 February 1953, FA Cup Fourth Round Replay - Brentford 1 Aston Villa 2
Brentford: Jeffries, Monk, Munro, Harper, Bragg, Latimer, Goodwin, Dare, Lawton, Sperrin, Ledgerton
Villa defeat Bees on their way to FA Cup Quarter Finals
Head to Head
Brentford wins: 0
Draws: 2
Aston Villa wins: 6