Although we bottled the 1-0 lead to them at our home but to be honest I have never played against such a dangerously aggressive player in my career before,this is my first time of meeting Him yesterday”, Brentford star Wissa reveals the ONE Arsenal player that gave Him so much joy yesterday – Not Timber and not Merino

 

Although we bottled the 1-0 lead to them at our home but to be honest I have never played against such a dangerously aggressive player in my career before,this is my first time of meeting Him yesterday”, Brentford star Wissa reveals the ONE Arsenal player that gave Him so much joy yesterday – Not Timber and not Merino

Arsenal overcame an early deficit to secure a Premier League win over Brentford on New Year’s Day 2025, narrowing the gap to league leaders Liverpool to six points, although Arsenal have played one more match.

Bryan Mbeumo, whose impressive season has sparked transfer speculation linking him with clubs like Arsenal, scored his 11th Premier League goal of the campaign to give Brentford the lead in the 13th minute.

Arsenal struggled to create clear chances early on and remained off-target for much of the first half-hour. However, a crucial moment came when Thomas Partey’s shot was parried by Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken, allowing Gabriel Jesus to convert the rebound and extend his scoring streak.

Moments earlier, Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya narrowly avoided disaster after fumbling a shot from Keane Lewis-Potter but managed to recover. Arsenal seized control early in the second half, with Mikel Merino capitalizing on a chaotic corner to put the visitors ahead. Shortly afterward, Gabriel Martinelli added a third goal with a composed finish from the edge of the box, following excellent wing play by Ethan Nwaneri.

Mikel Arteta’s team will have the chance to reduce the gap to three points when they face Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday evening, ahead of Liverpool’s clash with struggling Manchester United at Anfield the next day.

Brentford remain 12th in the table, comfortably clear of the relegation zone and just a win away from breaking into the top half, with a weekend match against Southampton on the horizon.

Brentford Player Ratings vs Arsenal (4-3-1-2)

Substitutes:

Leandro Trossard (78′ for Nwaneri): 6.0/10

Declan Rice (78′ for Merino): 5.8/10

Myles Lewis-Skelly (78′ for Calafiori): 6.3/10

Jorginho (88′ for Odegaard): N/A

Oleksandr Zinch

enko (90+1′ for Jesus): N/A