Arsenal held to a draw by Brentford as the Gunners inevitably focus on their epic Real Madrid encounter
- By Kaz Mochlinski
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 3 hours ago
Arsenal (0) 1 v Brentford (0) 1
Partey 61
Wissa 74
By Kaz Mochlinski at the Arsenal Stadium
Premier League
Matchweek 32
Brentford succeeded where Real Madrid had failed earlier in the week, by avoiding defeat away to Arsenal, whose thrilling midweek performance proved inevitably impossible to replicate four days later.
This time in the Premier League there were none of the same pyrotechnics around the ground as in the Champions League on Tuesday night - and a similar absence of fireworks on the pitch in a 1-1 stalemate.
Some of the buzz from the stunning 3-0 victory over Real remained, but not enough to prevent a disappointing follow-up to what has been generally agreed to be Arsenal’s most memorable match since moving to their new stadium 19 years ago.
A significant dip in the Gunners’ display in-between the two legs of their Champions League quarter-final was always probable, and it was made more likely by Mikel Arteta feeling that he needed to change half of the starting line-up.
The Arsenal head coach rested five key outfield players in Martin Ødegaard, Bukayo Saka, Mikel Merino, Jurriën Timber and Myles Lewis-Skelly, who had all been in the XI against Real but this time were named as substitutes.
All of them were brought on by Arteta in the second half to try and secure the win over Brentford - while taking off Declan Rice in order to restrict his playing minutes at least to some extent.
With next Wednesday’s match in Madrid in mind, crucially they all seemed to come through unscathed against the Bees, but there was one worrying new injury ahead of the second leg as Thomas Partey limped off.
Having given Arsenal the lead, Partey had to be replaced shortly afterwards due to an apparent muscle strain, although Arteta later refused categorically to confirm the exact nature or extent of the problem.
The Gunners boss also did not want to elaborate on Ben White’s enforced absence from the squad, other than admitting that the defender is going to be a doubt for the trip to Spain after a training setback as he continues his comeback from a knee injury.
When Jorginho could not continue, as a result of breathing difficulties from a rib issue not long before the end, the Gunners had used all the allotted five substitutes and were forced to finish the final few minutes of the game with only 10 men.
It could easily have been Brentford playing at a numerical disadvantage for the last hour or so after Christian Nørgaard brought down Gabriel Martinelli with a scything tackle which may have merited more than the yellow card shown by the referee, Simon Hooper.
Arteta did not disguise how furious he was about the incident, and Martinelli refused Nørgaard’s remorseful attempt to apologise in the tunnel as they went off at half-time, with the winger complaining subsequently that he might have been left with a broken leg.
Just as he had been in the encounter with Real, Martinelli was again a frequent threat to the opposition, but once more he could not quite beat the last defender or the goalkeeper, as promising Arsenal attacks faltered.
Instead, from the other wing, Ethan Nwaneri put over a near-perfect cross left-footed for Kieran Tierney to head in, only for him to have his first league start in almost two years spoiled by VAR disallowing the goal for offside on the new semi-automated system.
For all their neat possession and good movement of the ball, the home side did not produce an attempt on target until almost half-time, with Leandro Trossard’s low drive bringing a diving save from Mark Flekken.
The first shot on goal of the match had earlier been registered by Brentford, in the slightly unlikely person of Kristoffer Ajer, bringing a smart stop from the ex-Bees goalkeeper David Raya, after having got forward from right-back.
Yet it was the right full-back on the other side who eventually broke the deadlock. Partey has been repeatedly required to fill in there this season, switching from his more natural central midfield role, where he played against Real.
His defensive duties have restricted his scoring to only three goals before the visit of Brentford, but he finished superbly just past the hour mark, powerfully striking the ball high into the net, beating Flekken at his near post.
Playing Brentford it was very ironic that Arsenal scored through a fast counter-attack; from a corner at the other end, caught by Raya and distributed quickly to Rice, who followed his two magnificent free-kicks versus Real by creating the goal for Partey.
Rice ran most of the length of the pitch with the ball, from just outside one penalty area to the other, before playing in his teammate, who produced an equally huge effort to keep up in order to be able to make it 1-0 to the Arsenal.
Both Partey and Rice had to come off relatively soon afterwards, possibly unsurprisingly considering their exertions for the goal. Likewise, the lead did not last, with Brentford barely 13 minutes later drawing level.
The two second half goals each came from Bees corners on the right, cleared by the Gunners. For the equaliser, Michael Kayode conjured a cross to the far post, Nathan Collins won the header, and Yoane Wissa put it away.
A clever swivel was necessary for Wissa from close range to hook the ball over his shoulder and just out of Raya’s reach, taking him to 15 goals this season, one behind Bryan Mbeumo as the Premier League’s most productive pair of strikers.
Brentford never really threatened thereafter to get a first win at Arsenal since 1938, although a small bonus came with the belated stoppage time debut of the Brasilian teenager Gustavo Nunes, injured after signing last summer from Gremio.
Arsenal could only be disappointed by losing a lead and drawing 1-1 for the second Saturday in succession, as they did at Everton. They have now won just two of their past seven Premier League games - taking only 10 points from a possible 21.
Even the ever-optimistic Arteta had to accept that claiming the title this year has become “unlikely” with six league matches left to play. But it also came as something of a relief to be able to again focus fully on Madrid.
The Gunners can be encouraged that, after having watched the first leg live, the Brentford head coach, Thomas Frank, was fulsome in his admiration for Arteta - and he predicts a positive outcome for them in the return game.
“Now they are definitely in a good position. We all know that if there’s two places where you can turn it around, then it’s Bernabéu and Anfield.
“One thing looking from the outside is that Arsenal work hard. They’re very good defensively. And they’re very good at defensive set-pieces.
“So I think they’ll be fine.”
Arsenal: (4-2-3-1) Raya - Partey (Timber 69), Saliba, Kiwior, Tierney (Lewis-Skelly 62) - Jorginho, Rice (Merino 75) - Nwaneri (Saka 62), Zinchenko (Ødegaard 62), Martinelli - Trossard
Brentford: (4-3-3) Flekken - Ajer (Kayode 69), Collins, van den Berg, Lewis-Potter - Nørgaard (Gustavo Nunes 91), Janelt (Yarmoliuk 69), Damsgaard (Jensen 80) - Mbeumo, Wissa, Schade
Attendance: 60,184
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