Brentford are moving on in the Carabao Cup, and they can thank an unexpected hero in goal. Iceland’s Hakon Valdimarsson turned into the man of the night, saving two penalties in the shootout to secure a 4-2 victory over Aston Villa after the match had ended 1-1 in regulation.
What started with criticism for the goal he let slip turned into full redemption once he denied both McGinn and Cash from the spot. In a game that had plenty of balance, a thunderous strike from Hickey and a debut goal from Elliott, it was the keeper who walked away with the spotlight and the stadium rocking.
Balance during the match and the immediate answer
Villa looked sharper at the start, pushing forward and creating the early threats. Elliott pounced on a mistake by Janelt and calmly finished in the 43rd minute, marking his first goal in a Villa shirt. That lead could have grown right after halftime, but Brentford, as they so often do, found strength in set pieces and physical duels.
Their equalizer came from exactly that. Onyeka launched a long throw, the ball was flicked on, and Hickey struck a gorgeous volley straight into the top corner, leaving Bizot helpless.
From that moment, Brentford began to find more of the ball. Villa still had their chances, but this time Valdimarsson stood strong. He produced a sharp save on Cash’s effort and, deep in stoppage time, kept out a low shot from Rogers that easily could have ended the contest before penalties.
The decisive shootout
With the score still 1-1, the tie went to spot kicks, and that’s where Valdimarsson really made his mark. He guessed right immediately, stopping McGinn’s opening attempt, then repeated the trick against Matty Cash, diving the same way and pulling it off again. Those two saves handed Brentford the upper hand.
In the final act, it was Damsgaard who stepped up. He showed no nerves, buried his shot, and closed out the 4–2 win that set off celebrations all around the Gtech Community Stadium.