Mikel Arteta wanted to send a warning to Liverpool that Arsenal can push them to the road Supreme League title and this is what they mean business. Facing a Brentford side boasting the best home record and trailing to Bryan Mbeumo’s first strike, Arsenal bounced back with goals from Gabriel Jesus – his sixth in the past four games – Mikel Merino and Gabriel Martinelli to move within six points. on Arne Slot’s side, though about one more game.
It was far from a perfect performance Armory he needed another goal from the corner – 10 times – to settle his nerves. But having already gone 11 matches in all competitions without defeat and with 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri making another big impression in his first Premier League start, Arteta will feel their momentum is slowly building.
Both sides had to wait until the new year for the first round of transfers and perhaps with Saturday’s trip to Brighton coming to mind – the second of nine fixtures this month – Arteta made four changes from that team. Gippewicus was almost defeated in the last Excursions. Nwaneri has the chance to fill the big boots of the injured Bukayo Saka on the right, with Gabriel Martinelli returning to his usual position on the left. Kai Havertz was not even part of the match-day squad amid rumors of a bug in camp and Declan Rice had to make his place in the squad.
Brentford lost their unbeaten home record last season against Nottingham Forest but, after taking just the second point of the season at Brighton, Thomas Frank thinks they are lucky to record an eighth win out of 10 here. Mark Flekken got a goal back after limping off in the first half against Brighton, but without experienced defender Ben Mee as Sepp van den Berg, they were reduced to an inexperienced defence.
Brentford had already scored 26 goals at home – more than any other side – and were first served with a warning of danger when Mbeumo beat William Saliba to the flick, but David Raya was able to smother a cross from Keane Lewis-Potter. Arsenal’s goalscorer has excelled in west London five times but will know they could have prevented more Brentford the lead after Martin Degaard’s pass was intercepted by Mikkel Damsgaard. The Danish midfielder was brilliant through the ball for Mbeumo, although he allowed Riccardo Calafiori to enter the area unmoved before Raya seduced him with a clever finish at the near post.
Jurriën Timber went into the book to catch Lewis-Potter with a long challenge as Arsenal struggled to mount a response. They needed Calafiori to clear another dangerous cross as Brentford looked much slicker in comparison going forward.
Fortunately for Arsenal, a scrappy performance from contemporary Jesus pulled them into the game but only after a heart-to-mouth moment at Raya when Lewis-Potter spilled a shot and soon managed to claw his way to the ball. After Flekken saved Thomas Partey’s flight, as Brentford repeatedly failed to clear their lines, Arteta summoned the players to the home on the touchline as the video assistant referee checked for a potential ball that was not given. Jesus ended up in the middle as public enemy No 1 after being caught by Damsgaard’s swinging arm that seemed accidental rather than malicious.
Nwaneri excelled in Arsenal’s Carabao Cup this season, but became the youngest player in Premier League history in September 2022, aged 15 years and 181 days, his first start in a long season coming after 10 substitute appearances this season. The first part was quiet, but a measure of the amount was honored by the fact that when Arsenal won a corner in the right half, it was a teenager who went to grab it. Nicolas Jover, who was the Brentford coach three years before joining Arteta at Manchester City, watched Nwaneri fumble Flekken in the corner and Merino fired in from close range after his first-time shot was blocked by Jesus on the line. “Put it again, olé, olé,” he sang joyfully of the naval flatterers.
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Their form improved just three minutes later when Nathan Collins headed Nwaneri’s cross straight to Martinelli and he made no mistake to give Arsenal some precious breathing space. France fielded four substitutes at once in an attempt to find a way into the game but they could not summon the energy of the first half. They were able to take out all the projectiles.
Nwaneri left the field to a standing ovation from the end when he was substituted shortly after, and received a warm hug from Arteta. With him and fellow academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly also pushing his way into the manager’s plans this season, he looks to have a bright future for Arsenal as they try to make a year to remember.