Mikel Arteta needed to ship a warning to Liverpool that Arsenal can push all of them the best way for the Premier League title and this was proof that they imply enterprise. Going through a Brentford aspect boasting the division’s finest residence document and trailing to an early Bryan Mbeumo strike, Arsenal hit again with targets from Gabriel Jesus – his sixth in his previous 4 video games – Mikel Merino and Gabriel Martinelli to make sure that they moved to inside six factors of Arne Slot’s aspect, albeit from a recreation extra.
It was removed from a classic efficiency from Arsenal and so they as soon as once more wanted a purpose from a nook – their ninth of the season – to settle this contest. However having now gone 12 matches in all competitions with out defeat and with the 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri making one other massive impression on his first Premier League begin, Arteta will sense that their momentum is slowly constructing even within the absence of their talisman Bukayo Saka.
Each these sides needed to wait till the brand new 12 months to spherical off the primary half of their campaigns, with Liverpool having moved 9 factors clear due to their 5-0 thrashing of West Ham. So the onus was on Arsenal to maintain up the strain on the leaders within the first of 9 fixtures they may play this month in all competitions.
It was maybe with Saturday’s journey to Brighton in thoughts that Arteta made 4 modifications from the workforce that narrowly defeated Ipswich of their final outing. That included a possibility for Nwaneri to fill the large boots of Saka on the suitable, with Martinelli reverting to his standard left flank. Kai Havertz was not even a part of the match-day squad due to a illness bug within the camp that pressured the Germany ahead to isolate from the remainder of the squad and Declan Rice needed to accept a spot on the bench.
Brentford misplaced their unbeaten residence document final day trip towards Nottingham Forest however after choosing up solely a second away level of the season, at Brighton, Thomas Frank clearly fancied their possibilities of making it an eighth win from 10 video games right here. However regardless of racing into an early lead, an inexperienced defence couldn’t maintain out within the face of concerted strain from the guests.
Brentford had already scored 26 targets at residence – greater than another aspect – and so they served early discover of their hazard when Mbeumo beat William Saliba to a flick-on however David Raya was capable of smother the cross from Keane Lewis-Potter.
The Arsenal goalkeeper excelled throughout his 5 seasons at Brentford however on his first return to west London he’ll know he might have executed extra to forestall them from taking the lead after Martin Ødegaard’s cross was intercepted by Mikkel Damsgaard. The Denmark midfielder’s by ball for Mbeumo was good, though Riccardo Calafiori allowed him to enter the realm unchallenged earlier than fooling Raya with a intelligent end on the close to submit. The guests then wanted Calafiori to clear away one other harmful cross as Brentford regarded a lot slicker going ahead.
Fortuitously for Arsenal, a scrappy equaliser from Jesus hauled them again into the sport however solely after a heart-in-mouth second for Raya when he spilled Lewis-Potter’s shot and simply managed to claw the ball off his line. Jesus pounced after Mark Flekken saved from Thomas Partey’s drive when Brentford had repeatedly didn’t clear their traces, with Arteta assembling his gamers right into a huddle on the touchline because the video assistant referee checked for a possible handball that wasn’t discovered.
Nwaneri has excelled in Arsenal’s Carabao Cup run this season however, having turn out to be the youngest participant in Premier League historical past right here in September 2022 on the age of 15 years and 181 days, his first begin has been a very long time coming after 10 substitute appearances this season.
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He was saved largely quiet through the first half however it’s a measure of how extremely regarded he’s that when Arsenal received a nook on the suitable early within the second half, it was {the teenager} who stepped as much as take it. Nicolas Jover, who was Brentford’s set-piece coach for 3 years earlier than linking up with Arteta at Manchester Metropolis, watched on as Flekken fumbled Nwaneri’s nook and Merino fired in from shut vary after the preliminary shot from Jesus was blocked on the road. “Set piece once more olé, olé,” sang the Arsenal followers in delight.
Their temper was solely improved three minutes later when Nathan Collins headed Nwaneri’s cross straight to Martinelli and he made no mistake to offer Arsenal some treasured respiratory area. Frank threw on 4 substitutes on the identical time in an try to discover a means again into the sport however they may not fairly summon the vitality of the primary half and Arsenal have been in a position to take in every thing they threw at them.
Nwaneri left the sphere to a standing ovation from the away finish when he was changed late on and loved a heat embrace with Arteta. With him and his fellow academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly having additionally pressured his means into the supervisor’s plans this season, the longer term appears vibrant for Arsenal as they try to make it a 12 months to recollect.
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