Arsenal head across London for a mid-week Premier League match as they travel to take on Brentford for a pivotal London derby.
The Gunners entered the weekend with a 6 point gap over Manchester City and Aston Villa. After the Villans lost on Saturday, it was up to City to do their part. Unfortunately, Liverpool decided that an 8 point gap for Arsenal just wasn’t suitable, and the Cityzens left Anfield with 3 points after a bizarre final 10 minutes of play.
And so Arsenal enter match day 26 with the same 6 point lead as they had entering the weekend. Despite the narrative machine going back to the same old well with City nipping at Arsenal’s heels after a big win, it’s a place that this season’s Gunners have grown accustomed to. Slowly, methodically, assuredly, they have kept their eyes on their own paper and taken care of the matches ahead of them.
Thursday is another big opportunity to keep themselves securely atop the table in the face of ever-ratcheting pressure and expectation. 13 matches remain, and each passing fixture see the Gunners inch closer and closer to their first title in two decades. A surprisingly stout Brentford await, looking to burst Arsenal’s balloon and move to within a result of a top 4 spot. Can the Gunners take the sting out of the hosts and maintain the gap?
Here are three talking points ahead of Thursday’s match:
Brentford enter Thursday’s match in 7th place in the table with 39 points from a record of 12W/3D/10L.
When the season began, the Bees seemed like an easy shout for “club most likely to bottom out” with plenty of folks (myself included) assuming they would be battling in a relegation fight. After the manager and several key players exiting the club over the summer, a giant, ominous question mark hovered over the London club. Would their 6th season in the PL be their last?
The Bees have answered that with an emphatic “hell no.” In the face of seemingly stacked odds, Brentford have not only stayed the course, but have improved since the departure of Thomas Frank. Keith Andrews’ promotion to first team manager after serving as interim at the end of last season has proven to be an incredibly shrewd move by Brentford, and once again reinforces the notion that consistency tends to win out over splash hires and non-stop shakeups. With a third of the season left to play, they are one of several clubs hovering around a European spot, sitting only 6 points outside of the top 4.
Brentford have been buoyed by some brilliant individual performances, specifically striker Igor Thiago. He has continued his ascendant form as one of the league’s most lethal strikers, leading the club with 17 goals, which trail only Erling Haaland’s 21 in the race for the PL Golden Boot. Sure, 8 of those have been penalties, but if clubs keep fouling them, they will happily keep taking them.
One of their strengths has been their consistency in their roster. They may not have the deepest squad, but they have found a selection that just works. 13 players have featured over 20 times for the Bees, with another two with 19 appearances. Considering they are only active in two competitions at the moment, that limited rotation has proven more than enough to keep the results coming. Whether it sustains a push for a European spot by season’s end will be the real test.
Another strength is their finishing. They are statistically the most clinical club in the league in front of goal. They may not have the most goals, take the most shots, or take the most touches in the opposition box, but they finish at a higher rate than any other side, with a league-best 15.12% conversion rate and league-leading 0.16xG per shot. They don’t shoot often, but when they do, they are liable to score.
At home, Brentford’s record is a sound 7W/3D/2L and likely gives them hope that they can keep the Gunners at bay. Up until their loss to Nottingham Forest at the end of January, they hadn’t lost at home since a 0-1 loss to City in the beginning of October. They average 2 points per match at the Gtech, which is good enough for 6th best home record in the league. Arsenal are the league’s best away side this season, but have struggled to find consistent results away at most of the clubs in the top half of the table.
The Bees will be missing two key contributors, with Joshua DaSilva recovering from a knee injury and Kevin Schade, their second top scorer, suspended following a red card for violent conduct against Aston Villa.
Mikel Merino underwent successful surgery for a fracture in his foot this week and now begins his long road to recovery that, optimistically, may see him back in time for the last month. Get well soon, Mikel!
Leandro Trossard came off in the second half against Sunderland with what appeared to be a minor muscular injury. Nothing official has been reported yet, but Arteta may not want to take any risks with the winger considering Bukayo Saka’s continued absence, with the England winger looking to be match fit by the North London Derby. Martin Ødegaard was left out on Saturday as he recovers following a knock.
OUT: Bukayo Saka (hip), Mikel Merino (foot)
DOUBTFUL: Martin Ødegaard (knock), Leandro Trossard (knock)
Attack: Martinelli, Gyökeres, Madueke
Arsenal enter Thursday on a rare 5 days’ rest. That being said, they will need to go strong where they can against a quality side, and this starting line is likely the strongest available. Leandro Trossard was excellent against Sunderland but came off injured, and I’m not sure if 5 days rest will be adequate recovery time. Viktor Gyökeres continued his purple patch with a brace on the weekend and has built a tremendous rapport with Gabriel Martinelli, who likely starts on the left. Noni Madueke was ok against Sunderland, but also is a player that seems to perform better with more consistent match time. As the kids say, let him cook.
Midfield: Rice, Zubimendi, Havertz
The Arsenal midfield was excellent on Saturday, and Kai Havertz’ return is surely no coincidence. Martin Ødegaard was left out as he continues to recover from a knock, but even if the captain is available, Kai’s form may necessitate more match time for the German. The main issue, though, is load management. Havertz has featured in 4 straight matches and may need a breather so as to not push himself too much, too fast. Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi were up to the task with Zubi opening the scoring and Declan curling a shot just past the bar. If both carry their confidence and shooting boots to the Gtech, that would be excellent.
Defense: Hincapie, Gabriel, Saliba, Timber
Riccardo Calafiori is back but doesn’t seem fully match fit, which isn’t really all that surprising. His performance on Saturday was fine. Piero Hincapie has been a reliable deputy and looked sharp as a sub on Saturday. He has looked slightly out of sync with his teammates early in the season, but he has shown a better understanding lately and looks much more comfortable. He is certainly a capable option on Thursday if Calafiori is given a rest. The rest of the back three remain unchanged, because why would you?
David Raya returns to face his former club on the back of a good-but-not-great performance. Clean sheet aside, he had a few moments that had heads in hands. He is normally sure-handed, but is susceptible to the occasional brainfart. Here’s hoping he got those out of his system last weekend.
Arsenal’s fixture list starts to lighten up a hair through the remainder of the month. An FA Cup match ahead on the weekend provides the briefest of respite from the stress of the league, which means a strong showing on Thursday is paramount. Every match until a trophy is lifted is crucial with the gap at 6 points. Brentford will want to have their say, and it’s up to the Gunners to keep them quiet and keep earning points. If the Gunners can do what they’ve been doing all season, a result is well within reach.
WHO: Arsenal at Brentford
WHAT: Premier League match day 26
WHEN: Thursday, February 12th, 3:00pm EST/12:00pm PST/8:00pm GMT
WHERE: The GTech Community Stadium
HOW TO WATCH: Broadcast on the USA Network
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