Toney celebrating the Brentford equalizer

Match Report – Match Highlights – Post-Match Press Conference

Final Result: Arsenal 1-1 Brentford (Trossard 66′ | Toney 74′)

Arsenal XI (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Partey, Xhaka (F. Vieira 81′); Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli (Trossard 62′); Nketiah

In my match preview, I stressed how important it was for the Gunners to pick up the pieces against Brentford, following the bad run of results in the North West that saw Arsenal eliminated from the FA Cup as well as drop three valuable points away at struggling Everton. Brentford arrived at the Emirates in very fine form, unbeaten in their last nine matches in the league, winning four of the last five. They had also boasted of an imperious defensive record, conceding just three goals in their last six since the Post-World Cup break, so the Gunners had their work cut out for them.

Brentford usually plays a 4-3-3 formation, but Thomas Frank switched to 3-5-2, which transitioned to 5-3-2 when the Bees were in defensive mode. Their tactic was to soak up pressure as much as possible, and spring Arsenal on the counter attack, which worked quite effectively all game long. For the home side, there were players like Gabriel Martinelli and Ben White that haven’t been in good form, but the manager trusted his starting XI, fielding the same team in the Premier League for the sixth consecutive game.

The opening chance of the game arrived as early as the fifth minute when Brentford hit Arsenal on a counter attack with Ivan Toney swinging a dangerous ball to the box that got to the feet of the overlapping Rico Henry, but the full back couldn’t sort his feet on time to do anything meaningful with the ball, lashing it wide. Arsenal responded when Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard connected well at the edge of the Brentford box with the Englishman bearing down on Raya’s goal. Saka was nudged from behind but he still tried to get a shot out that was saved. If he had hit the deck after he was shoved from the back, it would have been a different conversation, giving the VAR team something to analyze.

Brentford should have gone one up when Toney found Bryan Mbeumo on the edge and crept into the box unmarked. His Cameroonian strike partner found him and he lashed at the ball, smashing the cross bar. That was a massive let off for the Gunners, as them having so much possession and being caught on the break seemed to be the theme of the game. Toney, who hassled William Saliba all game long, fashioned an opportunity for himself, smashing the ball goalwards from 30 yards to catch Aaron Ramsdale off guard, but the Arsenal goalie reacted well to make the good save and bring the ball under control.

Arsenal should have had the lead just before the break when Eddie Nketiah threaded a cross from the right wing that was cushioned to Martinelli’s path by Granit Xhaka but the Brazilian let one rip with his left foot and blasted it over the bar. A little more composure and the Gunners would have been ahead because Martinelli was in a fantastic position.

Early in the second half, Nketiah got the better of Kristoffer Ajer and found Odegaard at the edge of the box, but the Arsenal captain’s shot with his right foot was fired straight at David Raya in the Brentford goal. Toney kept probing at the Arsenal goal and almost handed Brentford the lead when Arsenal failed to clear their lines, allowing Mathias Jensen to tee Toney up at the danger area, but his side-footed effort missed by a lick of paint.

Then came the inevitable substitution with Martinelli departing the pitch for new signing, Leandro Trossard. Four minutes after his introduction, Trossard made his mark when Saka and Odegaard combined with a delightful one-two before Saka drilled the ball from the byline that was finished aplomb by Trossard, sending the Emirates to raptures. It was no less than the Gunners deserved.

The goal caused the Brentford gaffer to make two substitutions which included former Arsenal scholar, Josh da Silva, changing Brentford’s tactical approach to a more attacking setup. Three minutes later, the visitors got their equalizer. In a goalmouth scramble that saw the Brentford players win three consecutive headers in the Arsenal box, Christian Norgaard anticipated the ball before an onrushing Ramsdale to cut back the ball for Toney that guided the ball to an unguarded net. VAR did their bit to give Arsenal hope but it was not to be as a Thomas Partey’s swinging hand kept the last Brentford attacker onside in the buildup to the goal.

The goal came early enough, and we expected the Arsenal team to respond. Mikel Arteta brought on Fabio Vieira for Xhaka to give the team more attacking impetus, but Brentford resorted to Satanball tactics with Ben Mee and Toney hitting the deck for injuries. If the visitors were still losing 1-0 and needed an equalizer, I’m certain those players would be exceptionally fit. Five minutes stoppage wasn’t enough, as the ref’s final whistle ensured that the Gunners had dropped points in back-to-back league games for the first time this season, and if Manchester City defeats Unai Emery’s Aston Villa today, the gap that should have been eight points would be only a meager three points. The prospect of this more scary with the fact that if Manchester City get a favorable result at the Emirates this Wednesday after a win against Villa, they would return to the summit of the Premier League on goal difference.

The game on Wednesday would worry about itself but this is hugely disappointing, as we expected three points against Brentford ahead of the all-important Manchester City clash. It’s also worth noting that Arsenal has found it difficult to break down teams that are defending in a low block, resorting to a lot of side passes to the wingers, and always get doubled up by the opposition. I would expect Manchester City to play their attacking game against the Gunners, but Arteta needs to come up with an alternative measure to mitigate this issue.

Another thing worth mentioning is that I am in the opinion that the team needs a slight shakeup in the starting XI. White hasn’t played well for a couple of weeks and Takehiro Tomiyasu needs to get a nod at some point. Trossard seems to be a whole lot more influential in his cameo appearances than a Martinelli that featured for the best part of an hour. At some point, he has to favored for a start. But hey, I’m just an Arsenal blogger with my only managerial experience obtained from playing Football Manager 2023. 

Sayonara.

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