Brentford FC
·23 August 2025
Brentford 1 Aston Villa 0: Debut Ouattara goal secures three points at the Gtech

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·23 August 2025
Ouattara was named in the starting XI seven days after signing for the club, with Jordan Henderson also making his full debut.
Kevin Schade, who also featured from the bench in the opening-day defeat at Nottingham Forest, was included in the side alongside Mikkel Damsgaard.
Ahead of kick-off, the Gtech celebrated the life of former club chair Dan Tana with a minute's applause. The Bees also wore black armbands.
It was one of the four changes, Damsgaard, who had the first opportunity of the game inside the opening three minutes. Michael Kayode intercepted a pass midway inside Brentford's half, and the ball was eventually worked to the Dane on the edge of the box. He jinked his way past Boubacar Kamara and Matty Cash before curling just wide of the far corner.
Andrews' side took the lead 10 minutes later through Ouattara. Caoimhím Kelleher found Igor Thiago on halfway with a lofted pass, and the Brazilian flicked the ball on to put the Bees' latest addition through on goal. The former Bournemouth man raced into the box and saw his stabbed effort saved by Emiliano Martínez, but the ball ricocheted back into his path and he held his nerve to pass into an empty net.
Kayode's long throws were causing chaos in the Villa penalty area, and midway through the half, created the next chance, but Henderson's half-volley, after the loose ball had dropped nicely to him, was blocked behind.
Two set-pieces brought the visitors' first two opportunities at the other end with just over half an hour played. From successive corners, Schade turned away Youri Tielemans' well-struck effort before, moments later, Kelleher did well to adjust his feet and parry a low effort from John McGinn that had found its way through a busy box.
Brentford thought they had doubled their lead when Damsgaard rifled a volley into the back of the net via the underside of the crossbar after the latest Kayode throw-in had fallen to him. The goal was ruled out by VAR, however, due to an alleged Nathan Collins foul on Martínez.
Former Bee Ollie Watkins had a chance to level proceedings late in the first half but, after being found by Tielemans, his left-footed strike was blocked by Sepp van den Berg.
A superb Kayode challenge prevented the Villans from equalising early in the second half. McGinn freed Emiliano Buendia, who then drove towards the 18-yard box and played in Morgan Rogers to his left. The England international's goalbound effort was turned behind by the Brentford right-back's last-ditch sliding block.
Unai Emery's side were enjoying their best period of the game so far and Buendia dragged another warning shot wide of Kelleher's right post shortly afterwards.
The west Londoners had Kayode to thank again just over 10 minutes after the restart. Buendia released Watkins on the left wing, with the striker then pulling back from the corner of the box for Amadou Onana, who saw his first-time effort blocked by the Italy Under-21 international.
Thiago could have doubled the advantage going into the final 15 minutes, however, his left-footed drive, following good work from Ouattara and Damsgaard, fell wide.
Brentford saw out five minutes of stoppage-time to claim a hard-earned three points.
Brentford: Kelleher; Kayode (Ajer 85), Collins, van den Berg, Lewis-Potter; Henderson (Onyeka 69), Yarmoliuk (Jensen 79), Damsgaard; Ouattara (Henry 84), Thiago, Schade (Hickey 79)
Subs not used: Valdimarsson, Milambo, Carvalho, Peart-Harris
Aston Villa: Martínez; Cash, Mings, Pau, Digne (Maatsen 64); Onana (Malen 64), Kamara (Buendía 16 (Guessand 75)), Tielemans; Rogers, Watkins, McGinn (Bogarde 75)
Subs not used: Bizot, Proctor, Rowe, Burrowes
Attendance: 16,838
Keith Andrews dissected his first Premier League victory as Brentford head coach, after his side beat Aston Villa 1-0 at the Gtech.
"I thought everyone who was on the pitch defended phenomenally well," he explained.
"They approached the game with a mindset that was determined, selfless - when you look at someone like Dango [Ouatarra] and how he performed without the ball, it was all about the team - you can achieve amazing things when you're all on the same page, and today we showed that.
"We nullified a lot of their strengths, where they want to play the game, and we pressed high really aggressively at times and looked dangerous from that structure.
"We restricted them to very few opportunities."
Keane Lewis-Potter shared his thoughts on Brentford's 1-0 win against Aston Villa at Gtech Community Stadium.
The 24-year-old started at left-back and helped secure a clean sheet despite Unai Emery's side dominating possession.
"It wasn’t very pretty at all, but some games have to be like that to get the win," said Lewis-Potter.
“You probably see it from the side and think we’re under the cosh and under pressure, but I felt comfortable, I felt comfortable with the boys around me and the midfield in front.
“I’ll do a job anywhere for the team, and if that’s where the gaffer wants me to play, then I’ll play there.
“Last week [at Nottingham Forest] hurt us all and it just wasn’t us. We needed a reaction and wanted to bounce back."
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