Premier League: Arsenal draw with Brentford
From nine points to four. Arsenal’s lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League has dwindled dramatically in less than a week. The good news for Mikel Arteta’s team is that Arsenal remains in control of the title race even after it was held to a 1-1 draw at Brentford on Thursday. The bad news is the momentum appears to have swung in City’s direction just when Arsenal looked to be at its strongest. It feels like an age has passed since a 3-0 win against Sunderland put Arsenal nine points clear at the top of the standings. In reality, it was five days.
Since then, City has rallied from a goal behind to beat Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday and followed that up with another victory against Fulham on Wednesday. That nine-point advantage was only ever provisional, with City having a game in hand, but the perception is that the title race has taken a big swing — and a nervous performance at Brentford suggested Arsenal is beginning to feel the pressure. “Disappointed with just a point of course but we know it’s a tough place to come. We just have to stick together because we’re still in a great position. Go again,” Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya said.
There was a sense of relief for Arsenal fans when Noni Madueke broke the deadlock at the Gtech Community Stadium in the 61st minute with a header that wrong-footed Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher. And it was evident in Arteta’s celebrations on the sideline as well. But it didn’t seem to settle Arsenal’s nerves as Brentford went in search of an equalizer and leveled through Keane Lewis-Potter’s diving header in the 71st. “After we scored the goal we lacked more composure to maintain the level better, to play in the right areas, to keep discipline,” Arteta said.
“We started to give set-pieces away, and they are really good at them — so credit to them as well.” What followed was a frantic finish with Brentford’s Igor Thiago lashing over the bar when through on goal and Kelleher denying Gabriel Martinelli in a one-on-one in added time. “The chances we created, it doesn’t take a genius to see we were more likely to win it as the game went on,” Brentford coach Keith Andrews said. With Arsenal still having to travel to City in April, the title race looks set to go to the wire.
City beat Arsenal to the title in back-to-back seasons in 2023 and ‘24, having trailed for long periods in both of those years. And Arsenal finished runner-up for the third year in a row last season when Liverpool won the title. “You can’t be naive to think this is going to be easy,” Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice said. “We have to block out the outside noise. We have done that really well. People are going to talk up the title race and Arsenal, but we have a really calm group.
