Player Ratings: Brentford Earn Point as Arsenal Struggle for Momentum | OneFootball

Arsenal Falter as Brentford Battle to Deserved Premier League Point

There was an unmistakable flatness to Arsenal’s rhythm at the Emirates, the sort of sluggishness that clings to a team in transition between emotional highs. Days after hosting Real Madrid under the Champions League lights, Mikel Arteta’s side were back on domestic duty – and back down to earth with a bump.

Gunners Lose Momentum in Premier League Chase

A 1-1 draw with Brentford might read like a slip-up on paper. In truth, it was a reflection of the game’s tone. This wasn’t a calamity or collapse, but a performance that lacked sharpness. Arsenal were the more progressive side but didn’t dominate. Their eventual breakthrough – a clean strike from Thomas Partey just past the hour – was as much a reward for persistence as for brilliance.

Brentford, industrious and assured in possession, sensed the opportunity to frustrate and took it gleefully. Yoane Wissa’s equaliser, arriving with 20 minutes left, seemed inevitable the moment it was struck. The visitors had grown into the game, emboldened by Arsenal’s stuttering transitions and periods of sterile possession.

Arsenal’s Depth Tested Amid Fatigue

The ripple effects of continental competition were plain to see. Ethan Nwaneri’s inclusion hinted at rotation, as did the resting of Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard until the hour mark. But this wasn’t merely a matter of selection. Arsenal’s tempo lacked clarity; their pressing, once a weapon, looked blunted.

Gabriel Martinelli was subdued. Leandro Trossard buzzed without bite. Declan Rice, often the linchpin, found himself stretched in moments that required simplification, not spark.

Even with Partey’s goal, celebration felt tempered – more relief than joy.

Brentford Resilient and Rewarded

Brentford deserve credit for their tactical maturity. Thomas Frank’s side have not always travelled well to top-six venues, but here they were compact, composed, and crucially, clinical. Nathan Collins and Sepp van den Berg marshalled the back line with quiet assurance, and Bryan Mbeumo offered a reliable outlet on the right.

It’s a result that dents Arsenal’s Premier League rhythm but underscores Brentford’s growth – no longer plucky underdogs, but intelligent operators capable of dictating spells at even the most formidable away grounds.

Player Ratings

Arsenal

David Raya – 6Thomas Partey – 8William Saliba – 7.5Jakub Kiwior – 7Kieran Tierney – 6.5Jorginho – 6Declan Rice – 7.5Oleksandr Zinchenko – 6Ethan Nwaneri – 7Leandro Trossard – 6Gabriel Martinelli – 6Subs:Martin Ødegaard – 6Myles Lewis-Skelly – 6Bukayo Saka – 6Jurrien Timber – 6Mikel Merino – 6

Brentford

Mark Flekken – 5Kristoffer Ajer – 7Nathan Collins – 7.5Sepp van den Berg – 7.5Keane Lewis-Potter – 6.5Christian Nørgaard – 6Vitaly Janelt – 7Bryan Mbeumo – 6Mikkel Damsgaard – 6.5Kevin Schade – 7Yoane Wissa – 7.5Subs:Yehor Yarmolyuk – 6Michael Kayode – 7.5Mathias Jensen – 6