All ball, no bite: Villa’s dominance undone by early Ouattara strike at Brentford

Aston Villa left west London with nothing to show for control that lasted most of the night. A 12th-minute concession to Dango Ouattara put Brentford in front, and despite dictating the tempo thereafter, Unai Emery’s side were beaten 1-0.

Villa owned 76% of the ball and attempted 17 shots but found only two on target against a compact home side marshalled by Caoimhin Kelleher. A disallowed Brentford strike kept the game within reach at the interval, yet the equaliser never came; two matches into the season, Villa remain without a goal and sit 16th.

A slow start proves costly

Emery admitted the first 20 minutes lacked the intensity he demanded, and Brentford capitalised with direct, uncomplicated football. Kelleher launched long, Igor Thiago glanced on and Ouattara burst past Pau Torres — starting in place of the suspended Ezri Konsa — before finishing at the second attempt.

Martinez did well to block the debutant’s first effort, but the ball struck Matty Cash in the chaos and fell kindly for Ouattara to slide into the far corner. From that point, Villa were forced to chase a game against opponents content to sit in and spring when space opened.

Possession without penetration

There was control in abundance once Villa clicked into gear. The ball moved crisply from side to side and territory was gained, but clear sights of goal were scarce against Brentford’s compact block. McGinn’s skidding drive drew a tidy stop from Kelleher; on the break, Rogers curled narrowly wide.

Other efforts were largely speculative or smothered before they could trouble the keeper. Corners and second balls created moments of jeopardy without the decisive touch, leaving the statistics — 17 attempts, two on target — to underline the night’s frustration.

A VAR reprieve, then the same story

The hosts thought they had doubled their lead before the break when Mikkel Damsgaard lashed high into the net, but VAR intervened to penalise Nathan Collins for a foul on Martinez. It was a timely reprieve that kept the contest alive.

After the interval, pressure increased and shape improved, yet Brentford’s defensive discipline blunted the play in the areas that mattered. The passing was patient, the territory territorial, but the incision to turn dominance into goals remained elusive.

Emery’s verdict and the road ahead

Emery’s message was to keep calm and keep working: the performance after the early setback was largely to his plan, but the lapse and the lack of punch in the box settled the outcome. He acknowledged the need to clarify options in the final week of the window while stressing that the squad must perform with what it has.

There were at least hints to build on — debutant Evann Guessand produced a couple of neat touches — but the immediate task is sharpening the cutting edge. With a goalless draw against Newcastle followed by this narrow defeat, Villa’s drought spans the first fortnight; converting control into goals now defines the work ahead.