Arsenal 2-0 Brentford: Goals from Mikel Merino and Bukayo Saka earned the Gunners a victory over their London rivals at the Emirates as manager Mikel Arteta rotated his squad.
Arsenal moved back to five points in the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Brentford. The Gunners achieved a victory that restored their lead over Manchester City FC>Manchester City, but another central defender went down with an injury.
It took Mikel Merino less than 11 minutes to get on the scoresheet against the Emirates on Wednesday. The Spaniard made a smart move to attack Ben White’s cross at the front post and head it home.
Cristian Mosquera, who had been deputizing in the absence of Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba, limped off before half-time, adding to Mikel Arteta’s concerns. Julian Timber was placed in the center of defense.
The Gunners were controlled against a brave Brentford side, although not irresistible, and showed their depth since the start of December. Keith Andrews was doing something similar, but despite calling on Igor Thiago from the bench, he couldn’t find a way past David Raya.
Declan Rice limped off in the closing stages, but Bukayo Saka scored in stoppage time to seal the three points. Mirror Football looks at the issues arising from the following clashes.
read more: Arsenal lose another central defender and suffer another injury as Mikel Arteta loses another central defenderread more: Arsenal say Mikel Arteta could quit his dream job if they win the Premier League title this year
depth test
The midweek fixtures leading up to the festive period were ripe for rotation between both teams. Brentford manager Keith Andrews made five changes to his squad, bringing on Rico Henry for Aaron Hickey, Jordan Henderson, Sepp van den Bergh, Igor Thiago and Vitaly Janert, Yehor Yalmalik, Ethan Pinnock and Chris Adger for Nathan Collins.
Meanwhile, manager Mikel Arteta has deemed it appropriate to keep Bukayo Saka, Julian Timber and Eberechi Eze on the bench. Will Ben White and Noni Madueke be viable on the right? Of course it is possible.
The Gunners’ threat came from the right, with Martin Odegaard able to pull the strings in the middle. Madueke looked a threat and White was a threat both offensively and defensively.
The Arsenal full-back put Mikel Merino ahead with a pinpoint cross, giving White his first start since the opening day of the Premier League.
It was an outing that could have given England and Thomas Tuchel something to think about had they been able to earn more time on the pitch. An injury could help him achieve that quickly.
Gyokeres who had to wait
Victor Gökeres, returning from injury, was forced to come off the bench again for the kick-off. The Swede may have had mixed emotions after seeing Mikel Merino score for the second game in a row.
The former Newcastle and Borussia Dortmund midfielder has looked increasingly capable of leading up front with each passing week, with captain Martin Odegaard spending much of his time praising his team-mates as he welcomed Gokeres back.
“There were some positive things that happened on Sunday,” he said in the program notes. “It was great to see Victor back on the pitch and Mikel scored another goal for us.
“He was unbelievable. He’s very dangerous in the box and has the smell of scoring goals. He’s always in the right areas and he’s very good there, so it’s all credit to him.”
Gokeres remains Arsenal’s top scorer for now, but he won’t just settle into the starting XI. Since the start of last season, no Premier League player has scored more headed goals than Arsenal’s Mikel Merino.
These eight efforts prove he is a weapon. Gökeres will now have to prove himself to be deadly.
david raya
The Arsenal goalkeeper deserves a mention just for saving Kevin Shade’s header. A bullet was fired from the German’s head, but Raya was able to tip it over the bar with her hand, flashing so fast it was almost invisible to the naked eye.
It was a moment that highlighted the Spaniard’s ability to strongly help the Gunners pick up points, despite possessing all of Arsenal’s qualities. Speaking before the match, Arteta revealed that Arsenal first tried to sign the shot-stopper two years ago when they succeeded.
Asked if the goalkeeper was the best signing for him, Arteta said: “It’s a very difficult question to answer, but he’s certainly a player who will take us to another level. He’s certainly a player who brings something to our style of play.”
With Arsenal’s revolving door at the heart of their defence, consistency in goals could be crucial to Arsenal’s title aspirations.
injured again
In the past, the absence of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães would have been a crisis for the Gunners. The partnership between Cristian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie, who signed in the summer, appeared to be on track to allay concerns about the second game.
Before the end of the first half, the 21-year-old felt pain after landing awkwardly and was replaced by Julian Timber. The Dutchman needed to strengthen his attacking ability in order to join Hincapie in the center of Arsenal’s back line.
Hincapie, Timber, Ben White and others were signed with overall defensive versatility in mind. Now it’s paying off.
Arsenal’s Man City reaction
After Tuesday night’s dramatic win over Fulham, Josep Guardiola spoke about his team’s qualifications for the Premier League title. The Catalan manager was full of praise for Arsenal, but hopes his side can continue to take advantage throughout the season.
“The teams that win the Premier League are the ones that develop over the last few months and this is what we are trying to do. No injuries and a long period of time. If we push we will be better and we will be able to push ourselves and control the situation better,” he said.
Despite a series of injuries, Arsenal managed to pick up a point again. Guardiola gave his side a consolation with a goal, but Arteta’s side put in a controlled performance.
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