Ouattara scores on Brentford debut to seal 1-0 win over Villa

Brentford secured a surprise 1-0 Premier League win over Aston Villa at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, 23 August 2025, as club-record signing Dango Ouattara scored on his debut to give manager Keith Andrews his first victory in charge. The goal arrived in the 12th minute and proved decisive as Villa, coached by Unai Emery, were unable to find a way back despite dominating possession.

Ouattara, who joined Brentford from Bournemouth for a fee reported to be about 42.5 million pounds, slid home a rebound after Emiliano Martinez initially saved his first effort, clinching the only goal of the game and marking an immediate impact on his first start. After the match the winger posted on Instagram, thanking supporters and calling it the perfect start to his Brentford chapter, a message that drew likes from teammates including Jordan Henderson.

Villa thought they had levelled just before halftime when Mikkel Damsgaard netted from a corner, but referee Tony Harrington disallowed the effort for a foul on Martinez, with match reports describing the decision as coming after a slight nudge on the goalkeeper. Despite controlling long spells and finishing with 76 percent possession,...