(Football news) Brentford has to make some amends after losing 1-0 to Sheffield last weekend, while Aston Villa advanced in the European Cup due to a 1-1 draw away to Zrinjski Mostar in midweek.

Head coach Frank of the Bees endured another agonizing afternoon at Bramall Lane as returning Blades boss Wilder orchestrated a narrow victory over their battered opponents, despite his admission that Brentford’s injury situation is unlike anything he has ever encountered in his managerial career.

Just minutes remained in the first half when James McAtee curled home a spectacular winner from range to send Brentford reeling from their fourth straight loss during a terrifying festive run and give Sheffield United just their second top-flight victory of the season.

Over the last five gameweeks, Brentford’s only win has been a 3-1 victory over newly promoted Luton Town—albeit a very commanding one. As a result, Frank’s team has been left behind in the race for European football, lying in 11th place right now as one of just four teams with 19 points from 16 games.

Brentford could have been excused for losing to Brighton & Hove Albion and the current top two in Liverpool and Arsenal, but perhaps they should have been more concerned about losing to the Premier League’s bottom team, especially considering that one-goal defeat was their sixth game without a clean sheet.

It is encouraging for Frank’s team to know that the Bees have won three of their last four Premier League games at the Gtech Community Stadium. They were also only denied a point against Arsenal last weekend, who were defeated at home by Villa in a record-breaking fashion, by a couple of outstanding goal-line clearances.

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