'This week may tell us much more than last'

Unai Emery’s answer was unusually pointed.

What went wrong for his team in Sunday’s defeat at Stamford Bridge? "Chelsea."

It is entirely reasonable for a coach not to pull apart his team’s performance in public straight after a match – if he doesn’t stand up for his team, who will? – and his players have served him well enough to deserve backing in a tougher spell.

It is also reasonable though, to ask if there is something else behind Villa’s sudden loss of form.

"We had our chances but we didn’t score," said Emery at slightly little greater length. "I worry when we are not creating chances, but today we created. Of course, in 90 minutes here, if you’re not scoring, they are controlling the match. We have to accept it, because it’s Chelsea, so we keep going."

There’s something to that – Chelsea really are better this season, and a much more serious challenger for the fourth place Villa earned last season. But Villa have been defensively careless for a while, at the same time as opponents are finding ways to blunt their attacking ability – and here Emery made a useful point about them no longer being a surprise.

The obvious diagnosis is that Champions League fixtures are putting a pressure on the squad that they are struggling to bear, but both Emery and his captain John McGinn said they did not agree.

"We had a more difficult turnaround last season," said McGinn. "The Conference League games - Thursday to Sunday - are much more difficult to recover from. It is an easy excuse, but not one we want to use."

Not taking that excuse is a noble sentiment, but it may still be reason for their relative decline. This week may tell us much more than last – two home games that ought to be winnable for a club aspiring to a high finish, although Brentford have shown repeatedly that they are dangerously full of goals.

The league table is packed tightly enough for two wins to make a substantial difference to Villa’s position - and their mood.

Listen to full commentary of Aston Villa v Brentford tonight at 20:15 GMT on BBC Radio WM

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