A late goal from Kai Havertz resolved a very tough match in which Arsenal achieved victory and with it the provisional leadership of the Premier League. Arteta’s men thus take advantage of the confrontation between Liverpool and Manchester this Sunday, in which one or both of them will give up points.
The match was therefore extremely important for the Gunners and that pressure was very noticeable throughout the match. Brentford, a serious rival, should not be a major problem under normal conditions, but the home team’s anxiety made them suffer more than expected.
The Gunners, who have accumulated eight consecutive victories in the English tournament, did their part in the race for the top of the standings and will contemplate, with calm and their duty accomplished, Sunday’s face-to-face match between Liverpool and Manchester City, the other two contenders for the title. The shortlist bids relentlessly for dominance of the tournament.
Havertz, the guy who unblocked the Emirates clash, put his team on top, leading Liverpool by one point and City by two. Everything is to be decided.
Kai Havertz also relieved goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale who failed miserably and allowed the visiting team to equal the score that Declan Rice had previously opened. Ramsdale was singled out, now a substitute for Arsenal but benefiting from the fear clause that prevented the Spanish David Raya, a regular starter for Mikel Arteta, from playing.
Raya, on loan from Brentford, did not have permission to play even though he will be a Gunner at the end of the season. Ramsdale took his place. He failed in the visitors’ tying goal. But then he prevented Brentford from taking the lead.
The crash met expectations. It was not comfortable for the London team despite the fact that at first they were aiming for a win, when a wonderful cross from Ben White was headed in from the penalty spot by Declan Rice that put Arsenal ahead. Unstoppable for Mark Flekken.
It was comfortable afterwards for Arteta’s team who had the game where they wanted it. He did not suffer against a rival threatened by relegation for whom every point means a world, a nail to hold on to. Still, he lacked depth intimidated by the impact of his opponent.
But when he least expected it, Brentford found a tie and the Congolese Yoane Wissa was attentive to the indecision of Ramsdale who, with the ball at his feet, tried to send it to a teammate. The African who blocked the shot stepped in, ready, and directly took the ball to the net.
Everything changed from that moment and the situation became worse for Arsenal, who in the second half turned against the visitors’ goal. It was without excessive order, hasty. In search of a goal that would calm the match again.
He was left naked behind and Brentford was at ease. The visiting team was able to go ahead with an intentional shot by Ivan Toney from a distance to which Ramsdale responded with difficulty but accuracy. He was a corner.
Raya’s substitute prevented another goal from Thomas Frank’s team in the 71st minute, when a pass from Norwegian Kristoffer Ajer was headed in from close range by Nathan Michael Collins.
Arsenal accentuated its offensive. Declan Rice from the front shook the visitors’ squad with the Flekken goalkeeper beaten and four minutes from the end the Gunners’ winning goal came.
Martin Odegaard, irregular, intermittent, appeared on the front line and opened the game to the right where Ben White was who centered into the heart of the area. Kai Havert got ahead of his marker, stuck his head out and finished. He made the second, the one of triumph, the one of calm, the one of leadership.
2 – Arsenal: Aaron Ramsdale; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel, Jacob Kiwior (Aleksandr Zinchenko, m.79); Martin Odegaard (Thomas Pertey, m.95), Jorginho (Gabriel Jesus, m.70), Declan Rice; Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard (Reiss Nelson, 79) and Kai Havertz.
1 – Brentford: Mark Flecken; Zanka (Mikkel Damsgaard, m.91), Kristoffer Ajar, Nathan Collins; Mads Roerslev, Frank Onyeka (Yehor Yarmoliukm.78), Christian Norgaard (Mathias Jensen, m.34), Vitaly Janelt (Saman Ghoddos, m.91), Keane Lewis-Potter; Ivan Toney and Yoane Wissa (Neal Maupay, m.78).
Goals: 1-0, m.19: Declan Rice; 1-1, m.45 4: Yoane Wissa; 2-1, m.86: Kai Havertz.
Referee: Robert Jones. He showed yellow cards to Brentford’s Frank Omyeka, Zanka and Yoane Wissa and Arsenal’s Gabriel and Kai Havertz.
Incidents: match on the twenty-eighth round of the Premier League played at the Emirates Stadium in London.
