Arsenal drop points against Brentford as Man City given growing hope

Arsenal v Brentford in pictures

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Arsenal moved six points clear at the top of the table on Saturday, drawing 1-1 against Brentford in what was a lacklustre performance by Mikel Arteta’s side.

Second-half substitute Leandro Trossard came off of the bench to open the scoring at the Emirates Stadium following some good work from Bukayo Saka down the right.

But Brentford hit back through Ivan Toney in the 74th minute as he nodded home from close range after Arsenal failed to clear a set-piece.

The draw means that City are six points behind the league leaders and can go within touching distance of the league leaders with a win against Aston Villa on Sunday. Express Sport takes a look at four things we learned from this clash of the London sides.

Consistency from Arteta

Arteta started the same starting eleven for the sixth time in a row against Brentford, trusting his troops to bounce back from the recent defeat against Everton. The consistency in team selection will certainly be a factor in their success this season, with players forming natural relationships on the pitch, but could be something that they pay the price for further down the line due to their predictability.

The decision to continue with the same starting XI will certainly send a message to January signings Leandro Trossard and Jorginho, who won’t just be shoehorned into his side simply because they are new arrivals. However, Arteta now has a decision to make given the impact of Trossard late on.

VAR controversy

VAR was once again at the centre of attention at the Emirates Stadium, with Brentford on the receiving end of a questionable call – though this time because they were not able to intervene. Following a long ball, Toney beat William Saliba in the air to flick the ball into the path of Bryan Mbeumo.

The forward beat Gabriel in a foot race to the loose ball, who then slipped over under minimal contact and had a free run at the goal. Mbeumo raced clear and slotted the ball coolly past Aaron Ramsdale but the goal was not given as referee Peter Banks had blown his whistle to indicate that Toney had fouled Saliba.

Replay showed that the coming together between the pair was natural, with both players initiating contact but VAR was not able to intervene and review whether the goal should have stood as the whistle was blown.

Newcastle blueprint provides results

Arsenal struggled to break down Brentford for the most part of their encounter, with teams learning that counter-attacking may be the way to earn success against the league leaders. Arteta’s side struggled to break down Newcastle early in January due to their defensive setup and that appears to be the way to weather the storm in north London.

The Bees sat deep when out of possession, putting numbers behind the ball to block the passing lanes for Arsenal’s creative stars and ensure that their central defenders were not left one on one against their opponents. The Gunners struggled to find a way through and will need to draft up a plan on how they are to conquer teams that set up similarly if they are to win the league.

Edu must continue to trust Arteta

Heading into the January transfer window, Arteta made it Arsenal’s priority to sign a forward to bolster his attacking ranks. After missing out on top target Mykhaylo Mudryk to Chelsea, the boss was not content with waiting until the summer to acquire another forward and pushed to sign Trossard, who was the difference against Brentford.

Gabriel Martinelli struggled to make things click on Saturday afternoon and there was a significant need for a change of face in the final third. Although it was not a difficult chance for the ex-Brighton star, Trossard did provide a different option and enabled Arteta to turn to his bench when he otherwise may not have been able to. 

Gabriel Jesus absence finally felt

Gabriel Jesus has been absent since the World Cup after he sustained a knee injury whilst representing Brazil, and Saturday was the first time that he seemed truly missed.

Eddie Nketiah has filled the No 9 void well over the past few games, but the 23-year-old failed to produce the goods against the Bees, struggling to deal with being crowded out by his opponents. The striker was being forced to drift away from his central role to get onto the ball, depriving his teammates of space and time as a result and meaning that there was not a direct outlet through the middle.

Given that Jesus is a more physical striker, the ex-Manchester City star may have had more of an influence at the Emirates if he was available – and meant that Arteta had an alternative option on the bench in the form of Nketiah if he wanted to roll the dice and rejig his tactics.

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