- Brentford 0, Albion 1
Leandro Trossard's 90th-minute goal earned Albion a dramatic victory in their first Premier League encounter against Brentford.
Graham Potter's side got better as the game wore on after Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo had squandered the game’s best chance in the first half.
But it still looked like being a hard-fought stalemate when Trossard produced a stunning finish into the bottom right-hand corner after good work by substitute Solly March.
1700 visiting fans including chairman Tony Bloom were in raptures as Albion made it nine points from their opening four games, while it was a first defeat of their Premier League campaign.
Marc Cucurella made his Albion debut and there were two further change to the side beaten by Everton with Danny Welbeck and Joel Veltman coming in for their first starts of the season. It was the first time in Albion's history that the starting XI contained ten internationals, with only Neal Maupay not capped by his country.
The atmosphere at the Premier League's newest venue was vibrant at kick off and Albion fans were nearly celebrating in the 14th minute when Trossard's pass found Welbeck, who had made a good run from deep. Welbeck hit his shot well enough across David Raya but the keeper saved low to his left.
It was Albion's best opening of a first half that was played at a frantic pace at times. Albion were given little time to get the ball down and play and it was Brentford who would have felt they should have led at the break.
Toney tried an ambitious effort from 40 yards which only just cleared the bar and Bryan Mbeumo had three good chances before the break, none of which tested Rob Sanchez. The best of them came in stoppage time when Toney intercepted Cucurella's pass to Lewis Dunk and teed up his strike partner for a left-foot effort from inside the box that fizzed a yard wide. Moments later Albion’s keeper made his first save of the game to deny Vitaly Jenelt.
By then Albion had been forced into a change after Adam Webster hobbled off clutching his hamstring. Veltman moved into the centre with Jakub Moder coming on at right wing-back.
Potter changed formation at the break to 4-4-2 with Moder operating on the left of midfield and Albion enjoyed good spells of possession in the second half without threatening too often. Veltman and Shane Duffy were then booked in quick succession for fouls but with a quarter of the game to go there was no sign of a breakthrough.
Substitute Alexis Mac Allister found a precious yard of space just inside the box to get in a shot which was deflected wide but with ten minutes to go it looked like both sides had settled for a draw.
Then came the late twist. Albion worked the ball into the box through Moder and Mac Allister, whose pass gave Trossard room to cut across the face of goal and curl his shot past Raya and inside the far post.
Brentford will claim it was a smash and grab. Albion fans won’t care one bit.
Albion: Sanchez, Webster (Moder 37), Duffy, Dunk, Cucurella (March 82), Veltman, Bissouma, Lallana, Trossard, Maupay, Welbeck (Mac Allister 64). Subs: Scherpen, Steele, Moder, Alzate, Locadia, Roberts, Richards.
Referee: Graham Scott
Booked: Veltman