Brentford 1-3 Arsenal: Premier League – as it happened

Ed Aarons was at the Gtech and his report has landed. Here it is. Thanks for reading this MBM. Happy new year!

Mikel Arteta’s turn to speak to TNT. “We won in a really difficult stadium against a really good opponent … the team showed composure … willingness to change the game … navigate difficult moments … we started fast and aggressive … clinical … we had injuries and sickness … so, good! … we have to distribute the goals … that’s our strength … we can only do what is in our hands … win games … the rest is not anything to do with us … if there’s an opportunity [to sign someone in January] we will look at it, but our focus is our players, and they are really good … I really like my players and value what we have … we are really good with what we have.”

Thomas Frank speaks to TNT Sports. “We did a lot of things right … overall it was a good performance … the first half was extremely good … I really liked the way we played … brave on the ball … got out of pressure quite easy … a brave high press … it was the finest of margins … we scored a great goal … we need to do better for the 1-1 goal … overall I’m happy with the performance … we played a tough team that punished us in three moments … Brian Mbeumo was really good … fantastic … it shouldn’t be a problem to keep hold of him.”

Player of the match Gabriel Jesus talks to TNT. “The team did great today … the way we played is amazing … the way we reacted to come back … it is always difficult and we did it … I work every day … I don’t give up … it’s not easy to play for a big club like Arsenal … I was playing good but I wasn’t scoring … but I want to keep scoring to help the team … hopefully we can win the league … everyone is amazing … I’m sure we can fight for the title … we need to keep trying to play well.”

His fellow goalscorer Gabriel Martinelli adds: “I am always expecting the ball … I was a bit lucky in the moment … I am really happy with the performance … the support our fans give us is amazing … we are really happy with the result … no-one can replace Bukayo Saka … he is one of the best in the world … I am sure he is happy with the result.”

Arsenal become only the second side to defeat Brentford at the Gtech this season. The worry for the Bees is that it’s their second loss here in a row, following the visit of Nottingham Forest, who won 2-0, and while they remain in 12th spot, they’ll be looking over their shoulder at the relegation places. Their away form won’t sustain things if the rot sets in at home. Having said that, Thomas Frank doesn’t look too concerned, smiling as he applauds the home fans. Mikel Arteta meanwhile is positively beaming, delighted with the manner in which his title-chasing side came from behind to ultimately win comfortably. Arsenal’s set-piece coach earning his corn once again. Title race on!

The Gunners come from behind to close the gap at the top of the table.

90 min +3: Arsenal ping it around the back in the clock-management style. Their fans indulge themselves with a few olés.

90 min +2: Jesus makes way for Zinchenko.

90 min +1: Yarmoliuk, quarterbacking from deep, loops a fine ball towards Collins, racing into the box from the right. Collins can only flick a poor header wide right. It was a decent chance.

90 min: There will be four additional minutes.

89 min: Schade has the opportunity to barge his way into the box down the inside-right channel, but doubles back on himself and the chance is gone.

88 min: Jorginho comes on for Odegaard.

87 min: This is fizzling out. Arsenal gliding home.

85 min: During an untidy tussle, Timber takes an excitable swipe at Lewis-Potter from behind. He doesn’t connect, which is just as well, because he’s already in the book.

83 min: Jensen throws long from the left, causing some mild concern in the Arsenal ranks before Raya claims under pressure from Mbeumo at the far stick.

82 min: The Gtech is pretty quiet right now, the Arsenal section the exception.

80 min: Schade and Lewis-Potter try to open up Arsenal with a combination down the left, but Timber is not having any of it. Brentford continue to get nowhere.

78 min: Arsenal respond with a triple change of their own. Trossard, Rice and Lewis-Skelly come on for Calafiori, Nwaneri and Merino.

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76 min: … and then Raya deals with the corner.

75 min: Wissa probes down the right, forcing Gabriel into the concession of a corner, but before it can be taken, Brentford make a triple change. Norgaard, Wissa and Damsgaard make way for Jensen, Schade and Maghoma.

73 min: This second half hasn’t been anywhere near as entertaining as the first. Arsenal will care not one jot. They’re sailing serenely towards the victory that will move them to within six points of the leaders Liverpool.

72 min: … so having said that, Arsenal take up possession and stroke it around in the name of sterile domination.

70 min: Arsenal seem happy enough to let Brentford have the ball, because the hosts are doing the square root of nowt with it. “Far be it from me to criticise Thomas Frank’s tactics, but the Bees would be better off getting back to basics,” argues Peter Oh. “Play it out of the Flekken back with composure. Play to the Wissa.”

68 min: Janelt has the opportunity to release Wissa down the left, but slaps his pass straight at Timber. Groans from the home fans, who were in party mode for most of the first half, but are feeling that NYE hangover now.

66 min: Mbeumo sends it long, and Arsenal deal with it without fuss. Brentford aren’t giving off the vibe of getting back into this.

65 min: Lewis-Potter and Yarmoliuk exchange passes down the left, the former drawing a clumsy foul from Nwaneri. A free kick in a dangerous position, just to the side of the Arsenal box. Everyone lines up just inside it.

63 min: Wissa attempts to meet the corner in the Mark Hughes style, but his attempted bicycle kick is best forgotten. The ball’s bowled clear by Raya, in the hope of releasing Martinelli clean through on goal, but Flekken comes racing out of his box to head clear.

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62 min: Damsgaard advances down the right and wins a corner. Mbeumo prepares to send it into the Arsenal box. But before he can do that, the referee has a word with everyone. No pushing and shoving, please, chaps.

60 min: Raya goes long, sending Martinelli into space down the left. Martinelli rolls infield for Jesus, whose snapshot flies wide left of the target. Close. Another goal and this really will be over. If it isn’t already.

59 min: Brentford have settled a little since that double whammy. A bit of possession for the home team. But they’re achieving nothing in the Arsenal half. The visitors comfortable.

57 min: Calafiori dribbles into the Brentford box from the left and falls over. He wants a penalty, but he’s not getting one, and a dismal 60 seconds for the defender ends when he’s yellow carded for a cynical tug on Damsgaard.

56 min: Brentford were about a centimetre away from going 2-0 up, as well. Quite the turnaround.

54 min: Collins is livid, claiming he was pushed by Jesus while attempting his clearing header. VAR has a check, but the goal stands. There were three minutes and eight seconds between those two goals. Title race very much still on!

… and they find that third goal! Nwaneri crosses from the right. Collins tries to head clear, but can only tee up Martinelli, who lashes across Flekken from 12 yards and towards the top-right corner!

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52 min: Arsenal have done brilliantly to turn this around. They needed to, as well, given the state of the Premier League table and the title race. They press forward, looking for a third goal that would surely clinch the points.

Nwaneri sends the corner into the mixer. Flekken comes to punch clear, but doesn’t connect properly. Some pinball. A lot of confusion. Merino slams home from six yards. It’s not pretty, but it’s hellishly effective!

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49 min: Martinelli sends it long, and the ball’s flicked out for another corner, this time out on the right. Nwaneri to take.

48 min: Arsenal start the second half where they ended the first: dominating possession and pinning Brentford back. They win a corner down the left. Martinelli to swing it in.

46 min: Mbeumo gives Gabriel a good old-fashioned clip around the lug. Gabriel goes down but is soon up and about again. Mbeumo was a bit cheeky there but gets away with it.

Arsenal get the second half started. No changes.

Half-time postbag. “The most remarkable part of Jesus’ goal was that he had already started hurrying to get the rebound before the keeper had made his save. For the last year he’s been playing as if constantly second guessing himself, but this was instinctive. Confidence is a miracle drug” – Kári Tulinius

“Poor Charles Antaki, it must be so hard supporting a ‘big’ team because you have such great expectations. If you support a small team, Fulham for example, any scrap is seized upon with delight (such as being unbeaten against the top four in the league)“ – Richard Hirst

“Sadly for us Arsenal fans, Arsenal having lots of possession but not doing anything with it seems to be the norm most of the time these days. I know that partly it’s because the team faces so many low blocks and lacks a bit of craft in midfield, but I do wish Arteta wasn’t so focussed on controlling matches and would allow more chaos into the team going forward. First world problems, I know, but it sometimes seems like he’d rather not lose than win” – Will Vignoles

“Sometimes watching Arsenal is like a man with 500 keys slowly trying each one to see if it fits. And then occasionally being punched in the face” – Norrie Hernon

Half-time entertainment. It’s that time again.

The first half of the first Premier League game of 2025 has been an entertaining one. Arsenal have dominated possession but Brentford will most likely be the happier.

45 min +4: Nwaneri finds a bit of space down the right but can only send his attempted cutback straight at Flekken.

45 min +2: Arsenal hog the ball but don’t do a whole lot with it.

45 min: There will be four additional first-half minutes.

44 min: Jesus is back up, but he’s not happy. A lot of head shaking going on.

43 min: Damsgaard sticks out an arm to hold his ground in a tussle with Jesus, and accidentally catches the Arsenal man in the mouth. Jesus goes down and play is stopped. VAR double-checks the incident and concludes there’s no action to be taken.

42 min: Another non-event.

41 min: Roerslev and Mbeumo combine to win a corner down the right. The latter to take.

40 min: Mbeumo battles to win the ball off Calafiori, then a free kick from Merino. A precious release of pressure, because Arsenal are lightly turning the screw.

38 min: Arsenal are back in pass-and-probe mode. Odegaard caresses a cross in from the right. Jesus competes but can’t meet it. Goal kick. This doesn’t feel like it’s going to end 1-1.

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36 min: Flekken’s long ball forward is enough to panic Gabriel into the concession of a corner. Mbeumo takes. It’s a non-event.

35 min: Partey has another crack from the edge of a crowded box. Some pinball. It’s eventually cleared, but Brentford can’t afford to keep giving Arsenal these opportunity to cause chaos.