Things don't get much easier for new Brentford boss Keith Andrews as the Bees take on an Aston Villa team looking to underline their top-five credentials.
Below, we'll outline the best live TV streaming services for watching English Premier League games as they happen, wherever you are in the world, and how to use a VPN if it's not available where you are.
Many pundits have tipped the Bees to be among the relegation candidates this season following a summer that has seen them lose their manager, Thomas Frank, to Spurs, captain Christian Nørgaard to Arsenal and key forward Bryan Mbeumo to Man United. Those concerns appear to be justified following last Sunday's limp 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest.
Aston Villa, meanwhile, kicked off its campaign with a dogged goalless draw at home to Newcastle, having played out the last half-hour with 10 men after defender Ezri Konsa was sent off.
Brentford take on Aston Villa on Saturday, Aug. 23, at the Community Stadium in west London. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. BST. In the US and Canada, that makes the start time 10 a.m. ET or 7 a.m. PT, and in Australia, at 12 a.m. AEST.
Igor Thiago scored his first Premier League goal of the season in Brentford's 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest last Saturday. Alex Pantling/Getty Images
How to watch Brentford vs. Aston Villa in the US without cable
This match at the Community Stadium will be broadcast on USA Network, which you can access as part of your cable package or at the NBC Sports website with a valid login. It can also be streamed via Sling TV and other, more expensive streaming TV services.
Sling TV's Blue plan includes USA Network making it a great option for those wanting to watch Premier League action. It's $46 a month and includes more than 40 channels, including sports channels ESPN and FS1. Read our Sling TV review. See at Sling TV
How to watch the English Premier League 2025-26 season from anywhere with a VPN
If you're traveling abroad and want to keep up with all the EPL action while away from home, a VPN can help enhance your privacy and security when streaming.
It encrypts your traffic and prevents your internet service provider from throttling your speeds, and can also be helpful when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks while traveling, adding an extra layer of protection for your devices and logins. VPNs are legal in many countries, including the US and Canada, and can be used for legitimate purposes such as improving online privacy and security.
However, some streaming services may have policies restricting VPN use to access region-specific content. If you're considering a VPN for streaming, check the platform's terms of service to ensure compliance.
If you choose to use a VPN, follow the provider's installation instructions, ensuring you're connected securely and in compliance with applicable laws and service agreements. Some streaming platforms may block access when a VPN is detected, so verifying if your streaming subscription allows VPN usage is crucial.
ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It's normally $13 a month but if you sign up for an annual subscription for $100 you'll get three months free and save 49%. That's the equivalent of $6.67 a month. Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. See at ExpressVPN
Can I livestream Brentford vs. Aston Villa in the UK?
No broadcaster has the rights to show this game live in the UK, due to the traditional Saturday 3 p.m. kickoff blackout, which prohibits matches from being shown in the region at that time to protect attendances throughout the English football pyramid.
That also means that if you're traveling in the UK, you're unlikely to be able to watch the game like you normally would at home, thanks to geoblocking.
There's one option to get around this: Using a VPN, as explained above, you can set your location to a country where the match is being broadcast, and go from there.
Livestream Brentford vs. Aston Villa in Canada
If you want to livestream EPL games in Canada this season, you'll need to subscribe to Fubo. The service has exclusive rights to the Premier League once again and is broadcasting all 380 matches live.
Fubo is the go-to destination for Canadians looking to watch the EPL, with exclusive streaming rights to every match. It currently costs CA$27 for the first month and CA$31.50 a month thereafter. See at Fubo
Livestream Brentford vs. Aston Villa in Australia
Livestreaming rights for the EPL are now with Stan Sport, which is showing all 380 fixtures live, including this match.
Stan Sport will set you back AU$20 a month (on top of a Stan subscription, which starts at AU$12). It's also worth noting that the streaming service is currently offering a seven-day free trial. A subscription will also give you access to Premier League, Champions League and Europa League action, international rugby and Formula E.
Quick tips for streaming the Premier League using a VPN