The visitors made a strong start and took the lead in the 10th minute when Yehor Yarmoliuk finished after Villa were caught in possession while trying to play out from the back. The home side responded almost immediately, with Nicolas Jackson converting after Emiliano Buendia’s effort took a deflection.
The game remained open after the break, and Villa moved ahead in the 77th minute through John McGinn, whose curling finish gave the hosts renewed hope of ending their wait for a home victory. Brentford answered two minutes later, however, as Kristoffer Ajer arrived in the area to restore parity and earn his team a point.
Andrews was torn between satisfaction at his players’ commitment and frustration that they had not done more with the opportunities available.
“Torn, to be honest. I liked a lot today – spirit, grit, determination,” he told BBC Match of the Day.
The Brentford manager acknowledged that his squad had shown signs of rustiness after returning from international duty, but did not want that to become an excuse. Injuries also disrupted his plans, with Kevin Schade suffering a shoulder problem and Jannik Schuster unable to continue after half-time.
“Evidence of rustiness was understandable, but I don't like to use that as an excuse,” Andrews said. “The boys have been away for three weeks, so it's trying to find the balance.”
He also praised the quality of the opposition, pointing out that Villa had been showing signs of improvement before the international break.
“The fact that we're disappointed coming away from home to a Champions League team who spend big money tells you a lot,” he added.
Andrews said the break had made it difficult for the players to rediscover their usual rhythm and reconnect with the team’s style.
“The boys aren't robots. It takes some time to do, but the effort and the endeavour was there in abundance and I felt we could've nicked it.”
Despite dropping points, the Brentford boss remains encouraged by the team’s start to the campaign. He believes the performance offered plenty to build on, even if a few details prevented them from winning.
“We've started well and we're content with a lot of aspects of what we're doing and how,” Andrews said. “We are disappointed we could've played a bit better and maybe the result was there for us if we'd tidied up a few aspects of our game.”
Aston Villa were denied a winner, while Brentford extended their unbeaten run in a contest that left the visitors feeling they could have taken more from it.