Arsenal were very hot favourites to get revenge on Brentford for our shock defeat at the beginning of the season, and we duly obliged with goals from our two academy heroes Emile Smith-Rowe and Bukayo Saka, before Brentford added a consolation goal in the dying minutes after some fancy footwork from Norgaard had Ramsdale floundering in the box.
Arsenal started the game with intent and, as promised, Brentford were defending with their lives in the first 45 minutes to try and keep a point intact. Despite our domination, it was very frustrating to see the first half end with the score still at 0-0, but the Gunners continued where they left off after the break, and it didn’t take too long for Smith-Rowe to finally break the deadlock with a finely taken finish to put us in front at last.
The game was all but over, but you would think that Arteta would be annoyed that we didn’t have the firepower to win by a cricket score, but at least we managed to score more than once for the first time this year.
It was a vital three points in the race for the Top Four, and Arteta couldn’t have praised his young team more after the final whistle. “I’m very happy, especially with the way we started the game,” Arteta told Arsenal.com.
“We had really clear intentions, a real purpose to attack them, be consistent, take risks, be direct, have enough runs in behind and threat, put the ball in the box, arrive with numbers, counter-press, don’t allow them to make the transition that they want to do.
“We really controlled the game I think, we played really, really well, but we didn’t score the goal that for sure we merited in that period and then the game is open.
“We started the second half really well, scored a really good goal from Emile and then it was about being patient, score the second one and close the game and we’ve done that. But at the end, unfortunately, we concede a goal on a set piece.
“I think the crowd was really supportive as well because they could see the intentions of the team and what we were trying to do. One thing is to be patient, one thing is to be passive or slow and we played with the right level of urgency, determination and speed, as well as being patient to understand when we had to attack and the moment to expose certain spaces that were available.”
The only downsides were that we couldn’t quite get to the end with a clean sheet, and then we had to watch Sp*rs get an unlikely win over Pep’s Champions, but we are left just one point below 4th with games in hand, and we are still ahead of our bitter rival.
And so we now face Wolves again back at the Emirates and try to get our third win in a row. This one looks like it is going to go down to the wire!
Onwards and Upwards!
WATCH Arteta’s FULL press conference after Brentford win..
Arteta has managed for 114 games and we are now in a desperate race for 4th place yet if the wheels fall off we could finish 6th/7th or even 8th.
Arteta has had 42 players so far and right now trusts just 12. Results alone will decide whether Arteta is the man to take us back to top 4 football.
So unthinkingly simplistic a view.
Shrewder fans delve far deeper and would not write so superficially.
Some might think you write for the sake of writing rather than because you are saying anything of import or insight!
But that is what MOST fans on social media do anyway and not only on Arsenal sites either. Sigh!
BTW, I feel certain that no matter where we finish in the poren in May, MA WIll BE HERE FOR A CONSIDERABLE TIME TO COME AND WILL RECEIVE A CONTRACT EXTENSION THIS SUMMER, thus disproving your final sentence.
Results alone, will decided every teams final position……
Simple really.
Another good result from the boys yesterday keeping us in the mix, particularly with West Ham dropping points at home
Spurs got a fantastic result through being very efficient on the break but in some ways it could be a bit more difficult to do that to Burnley on Wednesday as Burnley probably won’t dominate the ball and camp out in the final third as City did, plus they probably defend better man for man but if Spurs get all three points there fair play to them
Meanwhile we have another tricky home game the day after but I fancy us by the odd goal again, although Wolves are possibly playing for a European slot in that game so will come at us from the off I reckon
Let’s see what ManU do later today
All good fun