Dango Ouattara’s outstanding debut helped Brentford edge Aston Villa 1-0 at a lively Gtech Community Stadium, easing fears among Bees supporters following Bryan Mbeumo’s departure and Yoane Wissa’s continued absence.
The £42m signing from Bournemouth gave Villa’s defence — including Pau Torres, who replaced the suspended Ezri Konsa — a torrid afternoon.
Ouattara celebrates after giving Brentford a first-half lead against Aston Villa
Linking up impressively with striker Igor Thiago, Ouattara finished confidently after the Brazilian’s clever flick to secure new boss Keith Andrews his first victory in charge.
With Wissa once again omitted as he pushes for a move to Newcastle United before the transfer window closes on September 1, the fluidity of Brentford’s new-look frontline will have pleased Andrews, especially after their disappointing opening-day defeat at Nottingham Forest.
Ouattara scores a debut goal to give Brentford the lead
Returning playmaker Mikkel Damsgaard also impressed in midfield with a composed first-half performance, almost capping it with a fine strike, though the effort was correctly ruled out for a foul in the build-up.
Villa, meanwhile, were lacklustre before the interval — registering just one shot on target — though they improved after the break.
Unai Emery’s side dominated much of the second half but still could not find their first goal of the campaign, leaving them 16th in the table after two matches. Brentford, by contrast, climb to 10th with their first win of the season.
Nathan Collins impedes Emi Martinez, causing Mikkel Damsgaard’s strike to be ruled out
What the managers said
Brentford boss Keith Andrews on Ouattara:
“His goal will get the headlines, but for me it was the selfless way he approached the game and did what was needed to get the result.
Without that discipline, it would have been difficult for us, he was amazing, considering he has only just joined us. His attributes are there for everyone to see, and you’ll see even more once we control games better and feed him more. But his out-of-possession work was outstanding.”
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery on his side’s display:
“We lost this match because in the first 20 minutes we weren’t performing with the intensity we needed. After the goal, we reacted, dominated, and created chances. But it wasn’t enough.
We need to keep building, stay calm, and be strong like we have been over the past three years. It’s not the start we wanted, but we’ll keep working and use the transfer window to strengthen.”