Arsenal team news vs Brentford and confirmed lineup
Four days after their euphoric win in the Champions League against Real Madrid, Arsenal return to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday to face Brentford in the Premier League.
The game will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event, kicking off at 5:30pm.
Arsenal confirmed lineup vs Brentford
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya; Partey, Saliba, Kiwior, Tierney; Jorginho, Zinchenko, Rice; Nwaneri, Trossard, Martinelli
Arsenal team news vs Brentford
Arsenal will certainly be without five players for Saturday’s London derby. Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz are dealing with major injuries and will both be unavailable for the rest of the season.
Arteta revealed at the start of the month that Gabriel will have surgery on a hamstring issue, with the aim to be ready for the start of next season. Meanwhile, Riccardo Calafiori is set to be sidelined with his knee injury until the end of the month.
Also absent from the Gunners’ back line is Takehiro Tomiyasu, who has suffered a setback in his return from injury and now isn’t expected back until the end of the year.
There have been changes to the starting XI too. Bukayo Saka picked up a bit of a knock against Real Madrid and drops down to the bench, with Ethan Nwaneri replacing him in the lineup. Rice also picked up a knock but he is fit enough to start. There is still a change in midfield with Martin Odegaard on the bench. Oleksandr Zinchenko comes into the midfield alongside Rice and Jorginho.
Arsenal’s bulletproof defence
The Gunners have established themselves as one of the most rock-solid defensive units in Europe. Only four teams in Europe’s top five leagues have conceded fewer goals than Arteta’s side (26) this season.
Indeed, Arsenal boast the best defensive record in the Premier League too, having kept the third-most most clean sheets (13) as well as conceding the fewest goals.
In 254 minutes of football since Gabriel’s injury, Arsenal have conceded twice — once every 127 minutes — which would, despite the small sample size, earn them the best minutes per goal conceded ratio in Europe’s top five leagues.
Arsenal’s solidity at the back seemingly runs deeper than any individual, and is a testament to Arteta’s rigid system. Even throughout injury woes, the introduction of teenage star Myles Lewis-Skelly into the lineup and endless back four combinations, Arsenal have still managed to keep it tidy in defence.
However, if one thing is guaranteed, it’s that goals will flow when Thomas Frank’s side come to town. Only Liverpool (103), Tottenham Hotspur (102) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (102) have seen more goals in their Premier League games this season than Brentford (98).
While Arsenal may have one eye on their second leg against Madrid next week, a complacent approach on Saturday could land them in real trouble against their London rivals.
