How would the Arsenal line up ? That was the question occupying everyone before kick off against Brentford in the warm, early evening, spring sunshine on Saturday. With players returning from injury, players in or on the edge of the red zone, and some players who surely just couldn’t be risked ahead of the Champions League 1/4 Final second leg in Madrid in four days time, Mikel Arteta had some testing choices to make.
His lineup in the event was – Raya; Partey, Saliba, Kiwior, Tierney; Jorginho, Rice, Zinchenko; Nwaneri, Trossard, Martinelli;
Lewis-Skelly, Merino, Timber, Odegaard, Saka and Sterling, among others, were on the bench. Ben White was not, which implies more problems following his knee surgery. Presumably we would see Thomas Partey inverting from the right as MLS was not playing and inverting does not fall naturally within Kieran Tierney’s compass on the left.
There is always a nervousness amongst the fans when Jakub Kiwior has to stand in for Gabriel – not surprisingly when you lose a player of such quality – but a glance at his stats is quite reassuring. In his last 19 games (including today) Arsenal have won 15, drawn 4, lost 0, conceded 19 and 9 clean sheets. He did really well against Real Madrid in the week and was not to be blamed for Brentford’s goal today.
As Declan Rice practiced his fabulous, bendy free kicks in the sun, most of the Brentford players looked like they had gone en-masse to the apprentice barber during the week.
The game
“After the Lord Mayor’s show”, Bath wrote in his preview. What exactly does happen after the Lord Mayor’s show, I thought. A quick google, just for fun, revealed “After the Lord Mayor’s show comes the dust cart / donkey cart / shit cart” – Google’s words, not mine ! You decide!
I started taking notes for this report doing exactly what I always promise myself I won’t – logging times and events of everything that happened. In the cool light of a disappointing but not wholly unexpected result, I have scrapped that idea. There really wasn’t that much to rivet readers to a blow by blow account.
Overall, Arsenal tried to play their neat, intricate football and clearly had the intention to win the game. A much changed side didn’t help with cohesion, and nor did a big, physical Brentford side who were allowed to get away with too much by Mr Whopper, the referee. Despite that we did manage to create several nice openings, just not the crucial, clear cut one we needed. Kieran Tierney did head home after 25 minutes from a superb in swinging cross from Ethan Nwaneri. Unfortunately, the 30 newly installed cameras for “semi automatic” VAR picked up the fact that Tierney was clearly offside – the clue being the Scot’s muted celebration. Gabriel Martinelli had a shot blocked by a desperate intervention by Ajer, Trossard had a shot saved after a great turn on the edge of the area, but a half in which we had forced 10 corners drew to a close with nothing on the scoreboard.
For their part, Brentford tried to break past Thomas Partey on our right hand side but had no way past William Saliba, who seems to play week after week with such an unhurried mastery. According to some on screen statistics, Brentford are ranked 1st among away teams in the Premier League in 2025. I’m in no position to deny that but in this first half they created nothing from their over hit balls lumped up the middle, most often by their goalkeeper.
Half time: Arsenal 0 – 0 Brentford
There were no changes at half time but there was a change of tempo. Martinelli swung in a great cross that Nwaneri just failed to connect with under pressure at the far post. Raya found Zinchenko with an excellent long clearance but as he ran into the box the Ukrainian got what Alan Smith described as a “ decent tactical nudge” from the Brentford defender. Most of us would describe it as a push in the back which knocked Zinchenko off balance, and the chance was gone. Mr Whopper was unbothered and play continued.
On the hour mark Brentford won a corner. The ball was caught by Raya who rolled it out quickly to Declan Rice who rounded a challenge and galloped through the centre of the pitch. With perfect awareness and weight of pass he slid the ball in front of Thomas Partey, who had strained every sinew to keep up with the charge. Partey didn’t even have to break stride as he hit it hard first time past Flecken. A brilliant goal. That will teach them to attack, I thought to myself. Unfortunately, it did.
Arsenal sent on Lewis-Skelly, Ødegaard and Saka for Zinchenko, Tierney and Nwaneri which re-energised both team and crowd. As the Arsenal drove forward looking for a second goal, Brentford broke into space which had opened up on our left hand side. Kayode overlapped and chipped a cross to the far post that was headed back for Wissa to spin and shoot past Raya. The Brentford striker decided to run into the corner in front of the North Bank and appeared to mock MLS’ Haaland impersonation, which all seemed a bit silly and unnecessary.
We saw out the last 10 minutes with ten men after Jorginho was unable to carry on, having gone down in pain and seemingly pointing to his chest. So ended another game which Arsenal had dominated but couldn’t kill off. Another two points dropped to a team which offered almost nothing apart from their equalising goal.
Full time: Arsenal 1 – 1 Brentford
And so, any last hopes of the league title must surely now be gone. Liverpool need only three more wins. The third of them could well come against Tottenham Hotspur and past experience tells us what will happen there. An unbelievable injury list, a series of utterly ridiculous refereeing decisions and maybe a failure to recruit sufficiently into the forward department of the team have cost us a successful challenge for the title this season.
I don’t like Thomas Frank and I don’t like Brentford FC. I’m not denying that Frank has done a good job for Brentford in that he has established them as a Premier League team. I know he doesn’t have the resources of the top clubs but this is supposed to be the best league in the world. His team play in his image and today spent the first half lumping long balls over the top as their only means of attack. In defence, out of possession they retreated into their own area and shifted between a 7-2-1 and an 8-2-0 formation.
They are a big, physical team – nothing wrong with that – but they foul constantly, admittedly staying mostly the right side of dangerous. Not always though. Norgaard should have been sent off today for a scissor tackle from behind on Gabriel Martinelli that could have broken his leg or caused a very serious knee injury. Thomas Frank was waving at the referee trying to get Arsenal players carded while all this was going on.
Alan Smith, again disappointingly, describing Norgaard’s tackle said, “I don’t think he meant to bring him down from behind – he was more alongside him.” Yes he did and no he wasn’t!
Jamie Redknapp said he didn’t think it was a red card “because they’re never given – but it’s a really dangerous one.” More top punditry from the Redknapp family. He did actually do some serious backtracking after Steve Sidwell disagreed with him.
On MoTD Lineker, Shearer and Richards all said, “Red card!” Thomas Frank, asked about the result, said, “Arsenal are difficult to play against – they did quite well against Real Madrid, I think.”
You bet we did quite well against Real Madrid. We have it all to do again on Wednesday. The team can rest and recover now. What a shame this 90 minutes of energy sapping anti-football had to fall between the ties.
You’ve summed it up well, Trev and your concluding sentence is particularly apt. I thought our goal was excellent and also that it would 1) be enough if needed to win the game and 2) stimulate a more open game to Arsenal’s advantage. Wrong again. Our defending for their goal was, at best, a bit ropey.
MA8 obviously wanted to give all of the subs a run before Wednesday night. I hoped they might stimulate a heartening flourish but that didn’t happen with Martin O in particular looking ‘off’ and like his youngster had kept him up all night being a new dad.
Excellent summary Trev. This game was always going to be a bit meh after Tuesday and so it proved. We actually consolidated our position in 2nd as Forest lost. I thought Rice and Saliba were magnificent. Saliba spent most of the second half at inside right!
We know nothing about football on this blog. Fantasy Football and the BBC website made Wissa clearly the man of the match ! Their marks for Rice and Saliba were derisory . What rubbish !
Trev describes it very well . It was inevitably going to be a flat atmosphere and an anti- climax after Tuesday . Brentford are a boring side , very physical , unattractive in style and Arsenal with their best eleven at another period of the season would gub them as they did at Kew Bridge in January
Saliba and Rice were superb . Merino and MLS looked good when they entered play and Saka frightened the life out of them . Odegaard is still way off – is this permanent we need to ask? – and I discussed Zinchenko in the previous blog. He played in a massive sulk possibly because he is our fifth best left back now . Time to say goodbye
A fair summary of a flat game, Trev.
The Partey and Jorginho injuries are concerning. Both have big parts to play on Wednesday.
TTG@3: The fact that Rice scored lower than every Brentford player on the BBC player rating vote says all you need to know.
Cheers Trev!
‘i don’t think it was a red card because they are never given’. Heh.
Did he say that for all of ours this season then?
No big surprise at how this match went, and everyone else being crap means it’s nof been such a bad weekend.*
And yet again, we can just laugh at Spu*s.
*hoping nothing serious to Partey and Jorginho
So Gary Neville reckons Arsenal haven’t progressed this season and Arteta is under pressure.
Meanwhile Manchester United and Spurs are squabbling over 14th and 15th positions like two bald men fighting over a comb.
Clueless. You should stick to your hotels Gary lad.
Thanks Trev, an excellent report and I fully share your antipathy for Brentford’s manager and boring approach. Fingers crossed for Partey, Jorginho and Benjamin now.
Gary Neville falls into that category of people who are best neither seen nor heard.
Ned knows.
I’ve just been watching the Masters with all of the drama attached. Fabulous drama and entertainment. But the quality of the experts guiding us through the game was exemplary Expert, unprejudiced , technically aware – everything we don’t see from the likes of Neville and Carragher . Neville saying Arteta is under pressure in a week when he masterminded the thrashing of Real Madrid – utter piffle.
Who could do better Gary? – the man whose coaching career folded like a cheap suit in weeks . Arsenal are in very good hands and will be even stronger next season
I’ve just been watching the Masters with all of the drama attached. Fabulous drama and entertainment. But the quality of the experts guiding us through the game was exemplary Expert, unprejudiced , technically aware – everything we don’t see from the likes of Neville and Carragher . Neville saying Arteta is under pressure in a week when he masterminded the thrashing of Real Madrid – utter piffle.
Who could do better Gary? – the man whose coaching career folded like a cheap suit in weeks . Arsenal are in very good hands and will be even stronger next season
You’ve got the spirit if the game with your excellent report, Trev. As I think everyone agrees, Brentford are a somewhat more stylish but no less uninteresting Wimbledon/Blackburn/Stoke clone. Can you imagine watching that non-league style football every week? Maybe it’s just displacement activity to take their minds off the constant cacophony delivered by living under the Heathrow flight path.
Once again the Sky “experts” show themselves to be partial, inconsistent halfwits. Just one reason why people are switching off their service in numbers. And yet they seem to be doubling down on the inanity. N ville now seemingly saying a sign that we gave regressed us that the wholly unconvincing low-achiever Venkatesham has just been hired by Levy as his latest human shield. Very odd behaviour. Compare and contrast with what is now the acme of tv football providers, Amazon. They have considered, thoughtful analysis rather than hysterical banshees of Sky, spewing out the first thing that comes into their minds in the manner of a spotty teenager keen to project intelligence and confidence only succeeding in displaying a deficit of each. And, rather gutsily, Amazon offers the option to silence commentary and just go with stadium noise. Now that is showing intelligence and confidence.nArecyou listening Neville and Carragher? Rhetorical.
A finely tuned report, Trev, that captures the disappointing nature of the game and the anticlimax flavour of the occasion. It’s a great pity that Brentford’s only real attack led to an equaliser as we should have been well ahead by then. It’s a greater pity that Ben White was unavailable and that TP5, despite his excellent lung bursting goal, was, as a result, pressed into action instead of just sitting at home, watching on a screen larger than the famous antipodean screen belonging to the late Chris (Oskar the Dog). Fingers crossed it was only a minor and transient tweak that Partey felt and that he’s ready for Wednesday. He has an important role to play, especially if Jorginho is unavailable. As observed by Ollie, the bulk of the chasing pack have conspired to mitigate the effect of dropping two points. Meanwhile, we have bigger fish to fry.
Morning all – and many thanks for the kind words !
I couldn’t agree more with everyone who’s commented on the Sky punditry – and especially compared to Amazon. I’ve got to the point where if all that is on offer, post match on Sky, is Carragher and Neville I switch off. If Arsenal, with all their long term and season ending injuries, and collection of quite unique, adverse refereeing decisions have regressed, what does it say about the progression of the group of clubs that still cannot keep up with them ?
Has it been a perfect season ? Certainly not. But after everything that’s happened we are second in the league and 3-0 up at half time of a quarter final against the 15 times winners of the Chsmpions Lesgue. I’ll happily take that with grateful thanks to Mikel Arteta and the players for a fantastic effort in awful circumstances. And we have a double bonus this season in the forms of Miles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri. In all honesty, without all the injuries, we probably would not have seen MLS in the Premier League this season. He is now first choice at left back and an England international. Ethan wandering has not quite achieved MLS’ levels of consistency but has certainly shown that the club does not need to spend mega money on trying to find backup for Bukayo Saka. It might well turn out that both youngsters will finish up in different positions to those they currently play but they are both top quality additions to the squad.
If Neville thinks we have regressed, I’d love to hear what he has to say about Tottenham and their manager, Aussie Idealess ! ( Thanks for that, CER ! 🤣🤣🤣 )
I’m kind of glad I never have to endure Sky, but exactly Trev. Sometimes I hear not only pundits saying we’ve had a really bad season, but we are comfortably second and well-positioned to reach the CL semi finals.
There are other factore for sure, Frustrating is the word I have often used, but catastrophical it certainly hasn’t been.
You put it all in words better than I can in your @14.
Cheers, Ollie !
@14 – Ethan wandering = Ethan Nwaneri – I love autocorrect 😆
On that subject, the man who invented predictive text died this morning. His funfair will be on Sundial at moon.
Firstly thanks Trev, you described the match & nuances perfectly. Yet another PGMOL special with not issuing a nailed on red card which would benefit Arsenal. Brentford were mediocre and we really should have come away with 3 points.
I’m in total agreement with you all regarding the low level / hypocrisy of Sky punditry, particularly Neville & Carragher. When watching a live game on Sky I only switch on at kick off and switch off as soon as the match has finished. If I want to re-watch the highlights then there are many ways to pick up these a short while later. The coverage on Prime is much superior with the bonus of switching off the commentary if desired ( so far not necessary ) with the punditry much more amenable.
Carragher is one of the regular pundits on CBS’s Golasa show in the US, where he recently happily admitted that part of his role is to cause controversy.
TH14 is another of the pundits (Micah Richards is the third). He spends most of the time looking embarrassed by the blokey antics around him, cheer-led by the host, Kate Scott.
I have long favoured watching games on foreign broadcasters’ streams where the commentary is in a language I can’t understand. It is far more informative than listening to English old pros.
It is, Ned – at least it annoys you far less when you can’t understand it.
The Masters coverage was totally different – bits of information about the players you probably didn’t know – observations about “next” shots that would have to be attempted which could only come from great knowledge and experience of the course – and explaining the effects of the course design rather than parroting everything we could all clearly see with our own eyes which the football commentators are addicted to.
I omitted to concur with the multiple observations about the execrable duo on Sky Sports and their mediocre to abysmal commentary team. Like Uply, I switch on for kick-off and switch off at the final whistle. I review specific in-game issues myself and await observations here or in WhatsApp groups to which I have access rather than listen to the subjective and generally biased opinions of the Sky pundits and again, like Uply, I obtain the post-match comments of players and managers elsewhere, often from Arseblog News or YouTube. At half-time, unless I am desperate for feedback from a pundit (rare), I go and open another bottle or make a cup of tea. In my opinion, Sky, and to a similar extent TNT, devalue the product they are offering (much like PGMOL really). Amazon Prime are somewhat less offensive, so far.
For those waiting with bated breath for the latest update to the GHF Predictathon, a reminder that Match Week 32 does not conclude until Wednesday, when other matters will be vying for out attention. So the new leaderboard may not get posted until Thursday.
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