Dango Ouattara scores only goal as Brentford edge past Aston Villa

Dango Ouattara celebrated his record £42.5million Brentford move with the winning goal as Keith Andrews earned his first victory as manager against Aston Villa at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Following an alarming collapse in their Premier League opener away to Nottingham Forest a week ago, the hosts hinted at life after Thomas Frank with a guileful display every bit as gritty and intelligent as those that were a hallmark under their former boss, grinding out a fine 1-0 win against a Villa side that ran out of ideas long before full-time.

The winning goal came early in the first half, a wonderfully direct link-up between goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, striker Igor Thiago whose Bees career looks finally to be taking off in earnest, and the always-powerful Ouattara, demonstrating why the club broke their transfer record in order to sign him from Bournemouth.

For Villa, it was a performance that took too long to get going, and by the time it did in the second half, Brentford were comfortable in their mission as the visitors registered only two shots on target in a vain search for their first goal of the season.

Mikkel Damsgaard worried Villa inside three minutes, dashing beyond two defenders and bending wide from a promising position.

Ouattara took only 12 minutes to leave his mark. Thiago – fresh from scoring his first Premier League goal against Forest – manoeuvred to flick on Kelleher’s long clearance and through the middle burst Brentford’s record buy, carving between Matty Cash and Pau Torres to finish at the second attempt after Emiliano Martinez had saved.

The Bees are beginning a first Premier League campaign without Bryan Mbeumo and likely too the wantaway Yoane Wissa, but in Ouattara and fellow new arrival Michael