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Bertrand Traore finding his feet at Aston Villa after maiden Premier League goal vs West Brom
The former Chelsea winger ended his four-year wait for a goal in the English top-flight on Sunday
Bertrand Traore said he is settling down well at Aston Villa after opening his Premier League goal account in their 3-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion.
The Burkina Faso international produced an outstanding performance on Sunday, by providing an assist for Anwar El Ghazi's opener in the fifth minute and he later found the back of the net in the 84th minute.
The result sealed a seventh league win for Dean Smith's side this season as they climbed to ninth on the log with 22 points from 12 matches.
Following his move from Lyon to Villa Park in the summer, Traore suffered an injury on his first league start against Southampton in November but he is now happy with the statement he made after his commanding display at the Hawthorns on Sunday.
“When I came, I wasn’t fit enough. I worked hard with the staff to get my fitness back and then unfortunately I got injured in my first start,” Traore told the club website.
“I had to work hard to get back into the team, and now I’m trying hard to do my best and make an impact on the team.
“I’m getting there. I’m getting fitter and fitter with each game.
“I came here to give what I can bring to the team, to grow up as a player and to learn. To get assists and score goals is part of my job here.”
The former Chelsea forward also praised the Claret and Blue Army's fighting spirit to keep a clean sheet as they took advantage of Jake Livermore's red card in the 37th minute.
“It was the perfect night for the team. I’m happy to score my first goal for Aston Villa in the Premier League, but the most important thing was the three points tonight," he added.
“The most important thing was our mindset and staying focused. We were still playing like it was 11v11.
“We played well, and the whole team are happy with the win and the clean sheet.”
