Brentford beat Aston Villa 1-0 with Ouattara debut goal
LONDON :Record signing Dango Ouattara scored 12 minutes into his debut as Brentford beat Aston Villa 1-0 on Saturday for their first points of the Premier League season under new coach Keith Andrews.
The 23-year-old Burkina Faso winger, who joined from Bournemouth a week ago for a reported 42 million pounds ($56.8 million), made a dream start with a rebound goal after an initial toe-poke at goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Igor Thiago had sent him clear on goal with a flick-on that split the defence.
The victory continued Brentford's proud record of never having lost their first home game of a top-flight season in 10 campaigns, and gave fans plenty to celebrate after the blow of pre-season departures.
Brentford, who sold top scorer Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United over the summer while former captain Christian Norgaard joined Arsenal, were beaten 3-1 at Nottingham Forest in their opening game.
"I suppose the overriding emotion is pride," said Andrews, who was promoted from within to replace Thomas Frank - now in charge at Tottenham Hotspur - last June and represents continuity at the helm.
"I think his (Ouattara's) goal will get the headlines but for me it was...the selfless nature of how he approached the game for the team," he added.
"I know he will be a big player for this club."
Brentford might have been 2-0 up at the break but a 43rd minute effort by Mikkel Damsgaard, bouncing in off the crossbar, was ruled out by referee Tony Harrington for a foul by captain Nathan Collins on Martinez.
The VAR review agreed Collins had "carelessly challenged the goalkeeper".
Villa, now with one point from two games after an opening 0-0 draw at home to Newcastle United, had far more chances than a week ago, but Unai Emery's side could not break down Brentford's stubborn defence.
A Youri Tielemans effort cannoned off Kevin Schade's head in the 30th while goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, who had a generally quiet game, saved Villa's first shot on target two minutes later.
Villa's England international forward Ollie Watkins had a misfiring afternoon at his former club, who had never previously recorded a clean sheet in eight Premier League games against their opponents.
"The first 20 minutes we weren't really performing and playing with the intensity we needed," Emery said.
"I was frustrated because we started losing some easy balls, we were not really getting duels defensively like usually we are doing."
Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, 35, made his first Premier League start since May 2023 and first for Brentford - with England manager Thomas Tuchel watching - after joining last month.
He was replaced, to an ovation from the crowd at the Gtech Community Stadium, in the 69th.
Ouattara followed him off in the 85th as Brentford battened down the hatches defensively and Villa searched in vain for an equaliser.
Brentford striker Yoane Wissa was unavailable for selection as he seeks a move away, with Andrews saying before the game that the team was the priority and it would not be right to involve him.
Ouattara suggested that Brentford had found a worthy successor.
($1 = 0.7395 pounds)
