(Football news) Prior to their thrilling match on Sunday, Mikel Arteta’s team had the opportunity to unseat both Manchester City and Liverpool. Declan Rice gave them the lead early on, but just before the half, an agonizing Aaron Ramsdale strike gave Yoane Wissa the opportunity to tie the score for the Bees.
With just a few minutes of regular time left, Kai Havertz proved to be the hero with a bullet header, setting up well-known scenes of Emirates celebration. Arsenal sighed as the clock ran out and had to rely on Ramsdale for a number of key interventions.
Arsenal huffed and puffed as the clock ticked down and had to rely on Ramsdale for a couple of crucial interventions, but with a few minutes of normal time remaining, Kai Havertz made himself the hero with a bullet header to spark familiar scenes of Emirates jubilation.
As expected, Ramsdale and Leandro Trossard came into the Arsenal XI in place of the ineligible David Raya and injured Gabriel Martinelli, while Sergio Reguilon was absent for Brentford, who instead called upon Keane Lewis-Potter.
There would be no repeat of Monday’s 15-minute four-goal flurry against Sheffield United, as Brentford initially did a good job of keeping the Gunners at arm’s length and made a couple of ventures into the hosts’ third too.
However, the inevitable Arsenal opener finally arrived in the 19th minute, as Ben White was afforded far too much time in the right half-space to send in an inswinging delivery, which Rice met with a terrific header into the far corner for his sixth league goal of the campaign.
Naturally not satisfied to declare at one, Arsenal immediately resumed their mission for number two and had a sighter of goal in the 24th minute, but Havertz’s low strike was straight down Mark Flekken’s throat.
The Bees’ cause was not helped by an injury to Christian Norgaard, who had tried to soldier on after receiving treatment but ultimately had to cede his place to Mathias Jensen with 34 minutes on the board.
Just one moment later, Jorginho sprayed an exquisite pass through to Havertz, whose blushes were then saved by the offside flag as his dink over Flekken landed the wrong side of the post, but replays showed that he may have timed his run perfectly.
The German then sent a 43rd-minute volley sky-high as Arsenal were frustrated in their attempts to find a second, but Arteta’s men would ostensibly enter the break a goal to the good as injury time ticked down.
However, after surviving a couple of howlers in the reverse fixture, there was no hiding place for Ramsdale after a costly calamity in the third additional minute, as the Englishman took too long to clear his lines and was charged down by Wissa, who saw the ball cannon into the net off his outstretched leg.
After making a crucial fingertip save to stop Ivan Toney from scoring an incredible goal from the left wing ten minutes into the second half, Ramsdale was able to somewhat make up for his horrifying error. From then on, the men in red would pour the kitchen sink at the Brentford defense.
In the 59th minute, Gabriel Magalhaes’ header was stopped on the line by Vitaly Janelt and Toney, denying the Gunners a chance to capitalize on one of their favorite set-pieces until Flekken was able to gather.
