Arsenal’s Draw at Brentford Heightens Title Race Tensions

omidbasir- BRENTFORD, England – Arsenal has extended their lead at the top of the Premier League table to four points following a 1-1 draw against Brentford. However, few rivals would feel more emboldened to push back after falling further behind in the title race.

In the days leading up to this match, Manchester City intensified the pressure by securing a win at Liverpool and comfortably defeating Fulham, just a day before Arsenal’s visit to Gtech Community Stadium. The expectation was for Arsenal to respond decisively with a commanding victory. Instead, they delivered a flawed performance that could have easily resulted in a defeat against a Brentford team defying preseason expectations.

While a draw at the seventh-place Brentford is not the worst outcome, it raises concerns as Manchester City continues to tighten the title race. Arsenal’s inability to secure victories in matches deemed winnable may increase the pressure on themselves.

Declan Rice, recognizing that the draw was a setback, urged for composure. “You can’t be naïve to think this is going to be easy. We are facing the best teams regularly. We need to keep pushing and believe in ourselves, focusing on what we can control. We must block out external distractions. People will talk up the title race and Arsenal, but we have a calm group. I don’t underestimate Brentford; they are among the league’s best, and their recent form reflects that. It’s a point gained in our journey, but we aimed for a win.”

A moment of brilliance from winger Noni Madueke allowed Arsenal to take a precious lead, connecting with Piero Hincapié’s cross in the 61st minute. Rather than build on this advantage, the Gunners fell back into defensive mode.

Arsenal has a set-piece coach, Nico Jover, whose influence is evident with a mural outside Emirates Stadium. Ironically, Brentford’s equalizer originated from a well-executed set piece, as their manager Keith Andrews, formerly Thomas Frank’s set-piece coach, celebrated when Sepp van den Berg met Michael Kayode’s long throw, leading to Keane Lewis-Potter’s header past goalkeeper David Raya.

Gabriel Magalhães narrowly avoided a red card after fouling Dango Ouattara while on a yellow card. Brentford’s Igor Thiago came close to scoring twice, but Rice made an outstanding interception to deny Mikkel Damsgaard’s potential winner. At the other end, substitute Gabriel Martinelli’s attempt was thwarted by Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher, marking only Arsenal’s second shot on target for the night, showcasing a disjointed attacking display.

Viktor Gyökeres let too many balls slip by him, and Leandro Trossard struggled to make an impact. Mikel Arteta appeared poised to replace Madueke with Bukayo Saka just before the former scored, but Saka’s introduction nine minutes later did not alter the game’s dynamics.

The night’s biggest disappointment was Eberechi Eze, who was given the opportunity to start with Martin Ødegaard on the bench, but he seemed to mimic Ødegaard’s playstyle rather than asserting his own. His efforts to drop deep led to visible frustration for Arteta, who eventually substituted him at halftime.

“Given their pressing, we required a different profile to challenge them effectively in those areas,” Arteta explained afterward.

However, it would be unjust to solely attribute Arsenal’s lackluster attack to Eze, as this match echoed their recent goalless draws against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. Arsenal has secured victories in only two of their last six league encounters, ranking 11th in shot conversion rate and 12th in expected goals (3.54).

Despite scoring three goals from open play against Sunderland recently, Arsenal’s reliance on set pieces against low-block teams like Brentford highlights a persistent issue. They currently sit 16th in the Premier League regarding the percentage of goals scored from open play according to ESPN Global Research.

It is unusual for an Arsenal match to see the opposition pose a greater threat, yet Brentford’s Kayode’s long throws and their equal assertiveness in the box created the desired chaos. “We initially controlled the game after scoring, but against Brentford, that isn’t sufficient,” Arteta noted. “They capitalize on unnecessary fouls and channel plays, making their dynamic difficult to defend.”

Ultimately, Arsenal must view this draw in the proper context. Gaining a point away at this season’s surprise team is acceptable, especially as they maintain their clear lead at the top. However, Manchester City is now looming closely in the rearview mirror, and Brentford fans gleefully chanted about Arsenal finishing as runners-up once again.

It is a scenario that Arsenal must dismiss from their minds moving forward, focusing instead on continuing to push for success, as Rice emphasized.