Arsenal – Brentford : Preview & Prediction
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal were given some breathing space in the title race earlier in the day as despite dropping points in a 1-0 defeat to Everton, bitter rivals Tottenham saved the day by beating Manchester City to ensure they did not close the points gap at the top of the table. DT, Mikel Arteta, stressed after Everton’s defeat that fighting for a first Premier League (PL) title since the 2003/04 season “will not be an easy road.”
However, returning to the Emirates Stadium after a pair of away defeats should calm fears of a negative run, as they look to protect one of only two unbeaten home league records left in the Premier League (G8, E1). Another positive for the Gunners is their dazzling seven-game winning streak in London derbies in the PL, and another win here would leave them one win away from their all-time club record!
Thomas Frank’s Brentford, who are unbeaten in their last nine PL games, will be looking to spoil that party, and that nine-game unbeaten run includes taking points off Spurs, Liverpool and Manchester City. It’s hard to believe that this is only the Bees’ second season in the PL, but there is buzz around them as they continue to hunt down European places by being “brave and aggressive,” according to Frank.
A brilliant collection of 11 points from a possible 18 against “Big Six” teams this season (G3, E2, P1) shows their ability to compete on equal terms against the best teams in the league, a span where they have also scored 11 times and conceded just seven. However, the fact that they have only managed one win away from home suggests that this may not be just another game for Ivan Toney and company.
Players to watch: Bukayo Saka has been involved in 14 of Arsenal’s goals in this PL season (seven goals and seven assists), and is also the man with the most goal contributions in London derbies in the PL since the start of the 2021/22 season, with four goals and eight assists in that span. Looking to stop him will be Brentford goalkeeper David Raya, who has helped Brentford keep out the opposition goal twice in their last two away games — more than he managed in the previous 24 games combined.
Key stat: Brentford has avoided defeat in half of its PL games this season when conceding the first goal of the game (E4, P4).
Arsenal – Brentford : Betting Tips
Arsenal – Win Odds: 1.45
