Premier League GW28 - Arsenal vs Brentford

Arsenal vs Brentford | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Arsenal and Brentford squared off for the Premier League title in an exciting match at the Emirates Stadium. A compelling battle between the Gunners and the Bees was shaped by the encounter, which had its share of brilliant moments, unexpected turns, and late drama.

Arsenal:

Since Manchester City and Liverpool don't play until tomorrow, a victory here would give Arsenal the opportunity to take the top spot in the table for the day. Since the beginning of 2024, they have won every one of their seven Premier League games. Thanks to their prolific goal-scoring ability, they have scored 31 goals during this time while only giving up three goals against. The Gunners have a strong record against Brentford as well, having only dropped one of their previous ten encounters overall, that being a 2-0 loss on the road in August 2021.

Brentford:

Only five points separate Brentford from the relegation zone, placing them dangerously at the other end of the table. They have only triumphed once in their previous seven Premier League games (D1 L5), and that triumph was away from home against Wolves. This season, the Bees have already squandered two of their league-high 28 points from winning situations after giving up a late goal to Chelsea last weekend, resulting in a 2-2 stalemate.

Line ups:

ARSENAL STARTING XI (4-3-3): Aaron Ramsdale; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Jakub Kiwior; Martin Odegaard, Jorginho, Declan Rice; Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard.

ARSENAL SUBS: Cedric Soares, Fabio Vieira, Thomas Partey, Karl Hein, Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah, Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Emile Smith Rowe.

BRENTFORD STARTING XI (3-5-2): Mark Flekken; Zanka, Kristoffer Ajer, Nathan Collins; Mads Roerslev, Frank Onyeka, Christian Norgaard, Vitaly Janelt, Keane Lewis-Potter; Ivan Toney, Yoanne Wissa.

BRENTFORD SUBS: Mikkel Damsgaard, Saman Ghoddos, Thomas Strakosha, Mathias Jensen, Shandon Baptiste, Kim Ji-Soo, Yehor Yarmoliuk, Benjamin Arthur, Neal Maupay.

Emirates Stadium | Picture Credits: The FA

Rice scored a goal for Arsenal and gave them a lead of 1-0 | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

First Half: Rice's Header and Ramsdale's Misfortune:

Declan Rice's thundering header broke the tie, and the Emirates went wild. Rice was found by Ben White's accurate cross, and he showed unwavering will to outmuscle Zanka and head the ball into the net. Early on, Arsenal led 1-0.

In stoppage time, the tide drastically changed. Yoanne Wissa took advantage of a defensive blunder by Ramsdale, which proved to be expensive. Pushing ahead, Wissa stopped Ramsdale's attempt to clear the ball, causing it to loop into the net. At the end of the half, Brentford tied the score at one.

Even though they had the better of the play and had more opportunities, Arsenal was tied at halftime. Ramsdale's miscalculation gave Brentford an unanticipated advantage, paving the way for an exciting second half.

Second Half: Drama Unfolds and Havertz Seals Victory:

With a goal in mind, Ramsdale demonstrated his ability to stop shots with an impressive save. To keep Arsenal equal, Ivan Toney's daring long-range strike forced Ramsdale to stretch completely, causing the ball to tip wide of the post.

Kai Havertz became Arsenal's hero in a pivotal moment. Havertz was in the ideal position to receive a cross from Martin Odegaard, which Ben White delivered with accuracy. The German took advantage of the situation and gave Arsenal a 2-1 lead by sending a strong header past Mark Flekken.

Havertz's late heroics were crucial as Arsenal defeated Brentford 2-1 after a fierce battle. Arsenal climbed to the top of the Premier League table thanks to Havertz's fine strike and important saves from goalie Ramsdale, even if the defender had made an earlier mistake.

Arsenal's Ascent and Brentford's Fight:

Arsenal demonstrated tenacity and resolve in an exciting match full of turns and turns. Rice's strong header opened the scoring, but Wissa's clever equalizer created doubt. Arsenal's victory was finally assured by Havertz's game-winning goal and Ramsdale's valiant efforts in the second half.

Arsenal celebrated their rise to the top of the Premier League when the final whistle blew at the Emirates. Brentford, for all their energetic play, was not to be. With the momentum of a significant win, the Gunners now focus on the Champions League. Brentford is anticipating their next test against Burnley in the interim. Fans of football saw a show at the Emirates, where talent and drama came together to create the story of an exciting Premier League match.

Wissa scored a late goal in the first half for Brentford which levelled the score to 1-1 | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Havertz scored a goal and gave Arsenal back a 2-1 lead | Picture Credits: Premier League Website