Aston Villa made their best start to life since Steven Gerrard as they recorded just their third win of the season by beating Brentford at a delighted Villa Park.
Former Liverpool captain Gerrard was sacked after Thursday’s heavy defeat at Fulham, with first-team coach Aaron Dink taking charge for Sunday’s game.
And Danks enjoyed an incredible debut in the dugout as Villa found themselves 3-0 up inside 15 minutes.
Leon Bailey swept the ball past Douglas Luiz after a smart corner routine in the second minute.
Danny Ings made it 2-0 five minutes later when he stabbed in Bailey’s cross before the striker scored his second of the game in the 14th minute, converting a penalty after Tyrone Mings was fouled. .
Brentford rarely looked able to provide a reply, with Ethan Pink’s best chance on goal in the first half being blocked by his team-mate, summing up the Bees’ fortunes.
Instead, the visitors were relying on David Raya to prevent Villa from scoring any further goals before half-time as he followed up with tries from Matty Cash and Luiz.
Brentford were marginally better after the break but could not prevent former Bays striker Ollie Watkins from adding a fourth when he finished from close range after pushing his initial shot onto the post.
The win moved Villa up to 14th in the Premier League, three points above the bottom. Meanwhile, Brentford is in 10th place with 14 points.
Willa Immediately Reacts as if Shackles are Closed
It was an incredible display from a Villa side who have struggled to score under Gerrard but, seemingly off the shackles, they allowed a stunned Brentford side.
Before Sunday, Villa were joint-second-lowest goalscorers in the Premier League this season with seven, but they scored as many goals in just 14 minutes as they managed in 409 minutes under Gerrard.
Their build-up play was sharp and fast, with Brentford struggling to close down spaces and could have won by an even bigger margin with both Luiz and Amy Buendia.
Danks, who had been Dean Smith’s assistant before Gerrard’s arrival, also made a brave call before kick-off by benching captain John McGann. His bold leadership could be just what Villa need – certainly in the short term – as they look to climb the table quickly.
“I’ve been asked to lead the team at this point and will continue to do so,” Dank said.
“I will continue to prepare the team on Monday morning as we go and, until I hear otherwise, have full focus and energy.”
Fight Against ‘Shameful’ Bees Continues
Sunday’s defeat was a completely unexpected result for Brentford, especially just four days after a fine performance against Chelsea.
It was perhaps one of the visitors’ worst performances since they were promoted to the Premier League, with Thomas Frank’s side largely restricted to chasing shadows – particularly in the first half.
Alarm bells should not be ringing after the loss, which was a result of Villa’s response to Gerrard’s departure and an off day for Brentford, who sit comfortably in 10th.
However, Brentford are still without a win this season and striker Ivan Toney insists a performance like this would be unacceptable.
He said, “To tell the truth.
“We were like a bunch of kids out there. I don’t mind losing a game but that’s not it. Disgraceful performance from the boys.”
