To lead a team to a title, a manager needs excellent players, a ruthless manner and a brilliant tactical mind. None of this is enough, though, without a huge dollop of luck at the right times.
With 70 minutes gone, Aston Villa trailed to Keane Lewis-Potter’s first-half goal and were showing few signs of breaking Brentford down. Then Ben Mee launched himself at Leon Bailey and was shown a red card after a VAR check — the right punishment for such a dangerous lunge.
That gave Unai Emery and Villa the opening they needed.