match report – player ratings – by the numbers – Video
Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League yesterday, beating Brentford 3-0 in one of the most controlled performances you are likely to see this season.
After what happened here last time, not to mention that just a few weeks ago they demolished Man Utd 4-0, there was some anxiety before the match, but from the first whistle Mikel Arteta’s men took control and barely let go. for the full 90 minutes. Brentford had a few moments, but that was it. The long shots and red and white kit made them look like a familiar Stoke, but beyond that they offered little.
The coach gave Fabio Vieira the first start, replacing the injured Martin Odegaard, who joined Oleksandr Zinchenko, Emile Smith Rowe and Mohamed Elneny on the injured list. Thomas Partey returned to the base of the midfield, a little rusty with the ball at times, but providing calm in a key position.
We should have been ahead in the first minute, a deft one-touch move provided an opportunity for Gabriel Martinelli, but he slipped at the key moment to let Brentford off the hook. However, that set the tone for what was to come. We played very well, and deservedly took the lead in the 17th minute when, from a corner, William Saliba headed in from the near post towards the back, the ball going through the goal despite Raya’s desperate attempt to deflect it.
The second goal came about ten minutes later. We had a little stoppage when it looked like Big Gabi had a problem and he might need to come out, but he carried on and so did Arsenal’s dominance. Granit Xhaka’s form this season has been exceptional, but perhaps Brentford were not expecting the quality of delivery he produced, hence the time he was given. Make no mistake, it was an excellent ball into the box, but Gabriel Jesus still had a bit of work to do, and how well he did, hitting a header into the top corner to make it 2-0. I enjoyed the way two Brentford defenders turned away in sad resignation as much as the celebration of the dance and the cleaning of Xhaka’s boot.
When you consider how loud this stadium was last season, the silence while we played the first half told its own story. They tried to rouse the crowd at halftime with a bit of ‘Hey Jude’, but they couldn’t get it together. I have a feeling they could have done it eight days a week and it wouldn’t have made any difference. David Raya was a man from nowhere, as Fabio Vieira made it 3-0 early in the second half with a quality goal.
He started at the back when it looked like a slightly loose touch from the imperious Saliba might have become a problem, but he moved away from the attacker, playing a one-two to get out of him and Arsenal continued the period of possession. right side. Bukayo Saka passed her, the goalkeeper thought that Vieira was going to go to the right and took a step towards there when the Portuguese finished off the left and went to the post. What a first goal for the 22-year-old. His head received a good slap from his companions.
Brentford saw the goal through a free kick, but it flew past them and, as I said, those moments were fleeting as Arsenal continued to play with confidence and style. The fantastic warm-up game produced chances for Jesus and Saka that drew good saves from Raya; there was a late chance for the Brazilian that the Brentford goalkeeper equalized again after Ramsdale had been in action once; but the home team made changes that did little to affect the control we had.
In the last 15 minutes, we’ve made a number of changes, but obviously the most notable was the introduction of Ethan Nwaneri, a name unknown to many until this weekend (I just added him to my browser’s spell checker). At just 15 years old, he breaks Cesc Fabregas’ record as Arsenal’s youngest player, and not only is he the youngest player to play in the Premier League, he is the youngest to debut in any of the top five European leagues. . The whole occasion for him, and then the manager explained his thoughts:
“It was a pure feeling. I met him, he has trained with us a couple of times, yesterday he had to come because we have all the injuries, especially Martin’s injury.
“So I had the feeling since yesterday that if the opportunity could come, I was going to do it. [give him his debut]. I just did it.
I don’t quite know what he does with the average age stats, but it’s another indication that if you’re a young player, Arsenal is the best place to be at the moment. A penny for the thoughts of Omari Hutchinson, someone who was on the bench last season and might well have had this chance if he hadn’t made the move to Chelsea’s Under-21s this summer. Still, kudos to Ethan Nwaneri, whose name will go down in the history books, but we hope there is much more to write in the years to come.
I guess what we have to recognize is that this opportunity for the young man came because of what we did in this game. At that point, Brentford were completely beaten, the score could have been even more emphatic, and the way we played yesterday as a team allowed this opportunity for Nwaneri. In a close game, it wouldn’t happen, so giving the team credit for the way he played against a team we know well can be difficult, especially at home.
After the loss in our previous match, there was a bit of added pressure due to our habit last season of losing in twos and threes, so addressing that issue so early in the season was very nice. And doing it without some very important players shows that there is some depth in the squad. Sure, you look at the bank, you see some children and you worry; but the reality is that without Odegaard we had £35m Vieira to fill (pretty good too), and without Zinchenko there is Kieran Tierney. When you consider our problems with the left back of late, that’s very healthy, and the reality is that you can’t have an endless list of top-class players. At some point you’re going to look a little skinny on the bench when you’ve used the depth you have in the field when needed.
All in all a very nice performance, the three points were well and truly deserved and now that we go into an Interlull the fact that we will be sitting on top until the North London derby is a good place to be.
Well, that’s all for this morning. James and I will be recording Arsecast Extra a little later this morning. Keep an eye out for the call for questions on Twitter @gunnerblog and @arseblog on Twitter with the hashtag #arsecastextra, or if you’re an Arseblog member on Patreon, leave your question on the #arsecast-extra-questions channel on our Discord. server.
We’ll have the capsule for you around noon. For now, take it easy.
