Arsenal dropped two important points in the Premier League title race but were maybe even lucky that Brentford didn’t win.
Manchester City’s 3-0 over Fulham last Wednesday got them three points off the Gunners in the top of the table. Suddenly, Arsenal’s game against the Bees had even greater importance.
And though Mikel Arteta is likely disappointed for dropping points, he might have reasons to celebrate still leaving the Gtech with a point.
How did Brentford vs Arsenal unfold?
Arteta’s dubious attacking strategies
Mikel Arteta has often found himself under heavy criticism due to his risk-averse approach in different games. This is probably going to be yet another example of that.
Arsenal had two main plans regarding their positional attacks against Brentford. A mix of wide overloads by one block of players while the others remained in line in and around the box waiting for a cross.
Both Piero Hincapie and Jurrien Timber mostly hugged the touchline and overlapped, while Leandro Trossard and Noni Madueke also stayed wide. Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi would join them to create triangles, with the trios looking to move and get crosses into the box – mostly down the left with Hincapie.
One could say it worked, since that’s how they scored their one and only goal. Hincapie cross from the left to the far corner (Madueke of all people with a great header). But it was one isolated moment of rare success among countless other versions of the same play that led to no danger.
The Ecuadorian attempted a career-high 7 crosses in a European league game, but only completed one.
The other one was looking for Viktor Gyokeres through long balls. The Swede’s game will probably go under the radar for most, but he did a great job holding up play, taking the touch, laying it off or even sending teammates through on goal.
BOYLE Sports offer: Bet £10 Get £40 in free bets
Not signed up to BOYLE Sports yet? Here's how to claim one of the best bookmaker welcome offers around...
- Sign up to BOYLE Sports using this link.
- Deposit a minimum of £10 (Excluding Skrill/Moneybookers, Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe or prepaid cards).
- Place a minimum bet of £10 or more at odds of EVS (2.0) or greater.
- Receive your £40 in free bets
18+ New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Account & Payment method restrictions apply. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. T&Cs Apply
Had Gabriel Martinelli scored at the end, it all would have started with the No.14 having a Didier Drogba-esque moment and playing Timber through.
This strategy showed good signs early on, but Arsenal went away from it when they dominated possession and occupied the attacking half. It was between the last 15-20 minutes of the first half and the initial 15-20 minutes of the second half.
During this stretch, they played good football, forced Brentford backwards and created decent half-chances. But it was also good enough to keep the Bees away from their own goal, which is the best way they defend themselves.
Arteta instantly reverted back to long balls as soon as they scored and it allowed Brentford to get back into the game as well.
Tactcally, it makes sense because it’s a way to beat the press by going over it. And with the hosts stepping up their lines, it left less men to battle for the ball at the back. But that’s not really Arsenal’s game. They are held to a higher standard than that precisely because they have shown a lot more previously.
And no matter how they played, whether it was actively dominating the game or avoiding big risks and playing it safe, it never felt like the Gunners created enough to deserve the win.
They have showed more grit and attacking creativity before – even from open play. But overall it looked like they prioritised trying to nullify Brentford’s game than develop their own.
Brentford their usual selves
This manifested via Arsenal visibly not looking to press high up the pitch with too much intensity. Doing this would open up space in behind for Brentford’s long passes and through balls. So instead, they often let Keith Andrews’ men have possession and play more patiently.
But as they have done all season, the Bees found ways to manufacture pace and get runners in-behind. Against high, mid or low block, via direct play or patient build-up.
Midnite Offer: Bet £10, get £30 in free bets
How to claim:
- Open an account at Midnite using this link.
- Deposit £10 or more
- Place your first bet of £10 or more (minimum odds of 1/1)
- Receive £30 in free bets, valid for 7 days on selected betse only.
18+ New customers only. Place a £10+ bet at min odds 1/1 (2.0) within 14 days of sign-up. Get £30 in Free Bets, valid for 7 days on selected bets only. Free stake not returned with winnings. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org
Igor Thiago flick-ons, Dango Ouattara and Keane Lewis-Potter one-on-on, Michael Kayode and Rico Henry overlaps, it doesn’t matter.
The goal came in a long throw, the same play they used to hurt many other teams this season. Flick-on at the near-post for someone to head it in at the far-post.
But Brentford had a number of good chances in many different ways. Crosses during positional attacks, set-pieces, counter-attacks. Igor Thiago always plays an immense role getting the team out of their own half, establishing them in the final third and bringing teammates into play. He also works hard out of possession to bother defenders and recover possession.
Tonight, he did all of that but failed in what has come easy for him: score goals. The Brazilian recorded a game-high six shots, but hit the target only twice and missed two clear-cut goalscoring opportunities.
Brentford dominated the attacking metrics and will feel hard done by considering what both teams showed at the Gtech.
| Stats | Brentford | Arsenal |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 40% | 60% |
| Shots (on target) | 12 (3) | 7 (2) |
| Expected goals | 1.8 | 1.2 |
| Big chances | 3 | 1 |
| Touches in the opp box | 21 | 32 |