Arsenal vs Brentford Review
Brentford rallied to secure a 1-1 draw against Arsenal in the Premier League, marking their first time avoiding defeat against a top three team in five encounters this season. Mikel Arteta opted for a rotated lineup, keeping Wednesday’s match against Real Madrid in mind, which led to a somewhat sluggish start. The Gunners had their chances, including a shot from Ethan Nwaneri that was deflected wide, and Christian Nørgaard’s awkward clearance of a Thomas Partey header. The first shot on target came in the 22nd minute when Kristoffer Ajer raced up the field to receive a pass from Bryan Mbeumo, but his attempt was blocked by David Raya’s legs.
Kieran Tierney seemed to have scored his first Premier League goal since May 2023 just four minutes into the match, heading in a cross from Nwaneri, but it was disallowed for offside. Oleksandr Zinchenko then took a low shot that was deflected wide by Mark Flekken, and Gabriel Martinelli received a well-placed pass from William Saliba but was thwarted by a timely block from Ajer. Leandro Trossard attempted to create opportunities, heading over from a Nwaneri corner and taking two ambitious long-range shots that were unsuccessful.
After the break, Brentford held strong against Arsenal’s early pressure and created their own chances, including a great pass from Keane Lewis-Potter that led to a corner. Arsenal eventually took the lead in the 60th minute following a quick counterattack after a Brentford corner, with David Raya passing to Rice, who set up Thomas Partey for a first-time goal.
Despite the introduction of some of Arsenal’s regular starters, Brentford fought back and equalized in the 74th minute when a corner was not cleared properly, allowing Ajer to head Michael Kayode’s cross back for Yoane Wissa, who scored with an improvised shot. Kayode stopped Bukayo Saka after he had stolen the ball from Flekken, and in the final moments, Saka’s shot curled frustratingly wide. As a result, Brentford secured consecutive draws, moving ahead of Crystal Palace into 11th place. Although Arsenal didn’t secure all three points, they maintained their unbeaten streak at nine matches as they get ready for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid.
