VILLA owner Tony Xia was celebrating the Moon Festival in China — meaning he missed more lunacy from his side.
The Midlands outfit let in a late equaliser for the THIRD game in a row at home.
They have now dropped NINE points from winning positions this term.
If Roberto Di Matteo’s troops had held those leads, they would be joint top of the Championship rather than languishing in 17th spot.
Jonathan Kodjia — a £15million buy from Bristol City — had put Villa ahead with his first goal for the club but John Egan levelled in the 87th minute.
And boss RDM said: “It’s this last five or six minutes we have to improve. We have to work through this. There’s no other way.
“There’s a barrier we have to break through, we get into the lead and can’t see it out. We were nervous in the last ten minutes.”
Brentford boss Dean Smith — a Villa fan — said: “It’s common knowledge Villa have won three games here in maybe 14 months.
Aston Villa star Ritchie De Laet is taken off injured against the Bees
“But we’re not little old Brentford, we have good Championship players.
“A draw was the least we deserved, we were excellent in the second half and dominated the game.”
The result will not go down well with owner Xia, who tweeted his frustrations after Villa allowed Nottingham Forest to snatch a late draw on Sunday.
The home side started the game looking like men on a mission.
Kodjia almost struck after five minutes when he was fed by Rudy Gestede but keeper Dan Bentley saved at the post.
Villa found the net 14 minutes later when Kodjia cut in from the right and rifled a left-foot shot into the top corner.
And they almost added a second before the break when Gestede met a Ross McCormack cross but headed just wide.
Brentford, though, sensed a goal and when Tommy Elphick’s mistimed header fell to Scott Hogan, he shot into the side-netting.
And the leveller finally came when sub Sullay Kaikai crossed and defender Egan fired home from six yards.
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