Kristoffer Ajer's late equaliser secured a 2-2 draw for Brentford at Villa Park on Saturday, extending their unbeaten run to six Premier League matches and keeping them in the top four.

The Bees set the tempo from the first whistle, pressing Aston Villa high and creating problems in dangerous areas. Their aggression paid off as early as the 10th minute when Tyrone Mings surrendered possession, and Yehor Yarmoliuk hammered the loose ball past Zion Suzuki to give Brentford the lead.

Villa's response was almost immediate. Just 88 seconds later, a shot from Emi Buendia was deflected into the path of Nicolas Jackson, who converted from close range to make it 1-1. The hosts then controlled large portions of the first half, with Buendia, Johan Manzambi — on his first home start — and John McGinn all coming close before the interval.

McGinn sparks Villa, Ajer hits back

Villa finally edged ahead in the 77th minute when McGinn's strike took a deflection on its way into the net. It appeared the hosts had done enough to claim all three points, but Brentford had other ideas.

Just two minutes later, Ajer burst forward from deep along the left channel in a run that caught Villa's defence completely off guard, forcing the ball home to silence the home supporters and make it 2-2.

Brentford manager Keith Andrews will have been delighted with his side's resilience — twice pegging Villa back — while Unai Emery's side are left to reflect on another dropped points at home. Villa have managed only one win from their opening six Premier League games, a frustrating return for a squad with aspirations of a European push.

The result means Brentford remain the only unbeaten side still in the top four, a remarkable achievement for a club so often tipped for a midtable finish.