Keith Andrews is preparing for his first home game as Brentford manager against Aston Villa, emphasizing the need to balance his coaching ideology with pragmatism after a disappointing start to the season. Brentford lost their opening match to Nottingham Forest and have seen key players depart. Despite their strong home record, Andrews is wary of Aston Villa, who have won their last two away games against Brentford. Key players to watch include Brentford’s new signing Dango Ouattara and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins. Prediction favors an Aston Villa win, given their historical dominance in recent encounters.
Keith Andrews faces a pivotal moment as he prepares for his first home competitive match in charge of Brentford. The Bees are set to host Aston Villa at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, and Andrews is acutely aware of the need to blend his coaching philosophy with practical considerations.
Brentford's 2025-26 Premier League season began on a sour note with a 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. This loss marked a disappointing start to Andrews’ tenure and the club’s first-ever defeat on the opening matchday of a Premier League season. The setback was compounded by the recent departures of key players such as Bryan Mbeumo, Christian Norgaard, and Mark Flekken, leaving gaps in the squad that Andrews is keen to address.
Despite the opening day loss, Brentford's home form in the top-flight remains a source of optimism. The team is unbeaten in their opening home games across nine seasons at this level, boasting seven wins and two draws. Notably, they have consistently scored a minimum of two goals in each of these matches, highlighting their attacking prowess at the Gtech Community Stadium.
However, defensive vulnerabilities have emerged. Last season, Brentford were lauded for their solidity at set-pieces, conceding just three goals from such situations. However, Chris Wood’s opener for Nottingham Forest last weekend came from a corner, raising concerns. The last time Brentford conceded from corners in consecutive games was in December 2023, a statistic Andrews will be eager to avoid repeating.
Andrews recognizes the importance of maintaining some of the defensive resilience that characterized Thomas Frank’s Brentford side. “The key is about balancing my ideologies with pragmatism,” Andrews stated, emphasizing the need for a flexible approach. He further elaborated, “When you’re fixated on playing a certain way as a coach and you haven’t got the tools to do that, it’s dangerous and there’s only one outcome.”
Confidence levels are also a crucial factor for Andrews. “If you’re asking players to do things they don’t really believe in, they sense that it’s perhaps not the right thing to do, then they might lose the game and not play particularly well either. I’ve always felt that you should try and get the best out of the players you have at your disposal.”
Our first away day of the season pic.twitter.com/isbdZ9viSn
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) August 20, 2025
Meanwhile, Aston Villa are determined to kickstart their season with a victory after being held to a goalless draw by Newcastle United at Villa Park in their opening game. The Villans struggled to create chances against Newcastle, recording their lowest shot count in a Premier League game since May 2024, with just two shots against Brighton.
Across matchday one, Villa ranked last among all Premier League teams for both shots taken and expected goals (0.20 xG). Despite this, the Europa League-bound side will be confident heading to West London, having won their last two away games against Brentford.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Brentford – Dango Ouattara
Brentford made a significant investment earlier this month, breaking their transfer record to sign Dango Ouattara from Bournemouth in a deal reportedly worth £42m. The former Lorient winger had an impressive last season, tallying 11 goal involvements (seven goals, four assists) and helping Bournemouth to their highest Premier League finish of ninth. After missing out against Forest, Ouattara could make his Brentford debut this Saturday.
Aston Villa – Ollie Watkins
The England international was in excellent form last season, registering 24 Premier League goal involvements (16 goals, eight assists), ranking seventh for goals in the division. In seven Premier League appearances for Villa against Brentford, Watkins has contributed seven goals (six goals and one assist), with his latest goal against his former club coming in Villa’s 1-0 away win back in March.
MATCH PREDICTION: ASTON VILLA WIN
Brentford have struggled in recent encounters against Villa, failing to win any of their last six matches (two draws and four losses) and have been unable to keep a clean sheet in any of their eight head-to-head Premier League meetings.
Watkins has been a key threat for Villa in London, contributing to 13 goals in his last 18 Premier League appearances there (11 goals and two assists). This includes scoring in each of his last two away matches against his former club Brentford, during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.
Andrews will also be wary of Villa’s prowess from set-pieces, with the club ranking second in the Premier League last season for goals scored from dead-ball situations.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY:
Brentford: 31.1%
Draw: 25.4%
Aston Villa: 43.4%