Arsenal beat Brentford to close gap on Liverpool

LONDON: Arsenal showed they can cope without the injured Bukayo Saka as they began the year in style by recovering from an early sucker-punch to beat Brentford 3-1 away and move back into second place in the Premier League on Wednesday.

Forward Saka, arguably Arsenal’s most influential player this season, has been ruled out for at least two months after hamstring surgery, dealing a blow to the club’s title hopes.

A visit to a Brentford side who have been impressive at home this season felt like a must-win game for Arsenal but things began badly as Bryan Mbeumo gave his side a 13th minute lead with the home side’s first attack.

Arsenal did not panic, though, and Gabriel Jesus continued his recent resurgence to equalise before halftime.

Mikel Arteta’s side came out firing in the second half and Mikel Merino put them ahead five minutes after the restart after Brentford failed to deal with a corner.

Three minutes later Gabriel Martinelli produced a clinical volleyed finish to put Arsenal in complete control.

The victory lifted Arsenal above Chelsea and Nottingham Forest with 39 points from 19 games with leaders Liverpool on 45 from 18. Injury-hit Brentford’s second home defeat of the season left them in 12th spot with 24 points from 19 games.

Defeat would have left Arsenal nine points behind Liverpool, who also have a game in hand, but the way they reacted to going behind suggests they can still be a factor in the title race.

Arteta will also have been impressed with 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri after handing him a first Premier League start.

“I think the team showed a lot of composure. To keep insisting, keep attacking them,” Arteta, whose side are unbeaten in 11 games in all competitions, said.

“We can only win our next match and see what happens. It’s not in our hands, but what is in our hands we need to make sure we do it.”

Arsenal did not lose a London derby in 2024 and have started off in similar fashion.

They were caught cold, though, when Brentford burst forward in the 13th minute and Mbeumo was given too much space to cut in from the right and fire a shot past David Raya.

Raya was almost left red-faced soon after when he allowed a Mbeumo shot to burst through his gloves but he managed to race back and claw the ball off the line.

It proved a pivotal moment as less than a minute later Brentford were guilty of failing to clear the ball and it eventually arrived for Thomas Partey to fire a shot that was parried by Mark Flekken and Jesus dived to head in the rebound.

It was the Brazilian’s sixth goal in his last four games for Arsenal in all competitions, as many as in his previous 48 games for the club.

“I keep working and everyone at the club can tell how I work every day, not just me but everyone. I don’t give up and it is not easy to play for a big club like Arsenal,” Jesus said.

Arsenal’s efficiency from set-pieces was evident again early in the second half when a corner caused chaos in the area and Merino was able to fire home a loose ball.

Martinelli gave the visitors breathing space with a superb finish when the ball came out to him on the edge of the box.