Mikel Arteta will demand three points against Brentford from his players as Arsenal look to keep up the pressure at the top of the table.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank will want continuity from his players against Arsenal after Liverpool halted their three-game winning run in the league. A Mohamed Salah brace and another strike from Diogo Jota ensured the Bees returned home empty-handed, and they will look to make amends against Arsenal.
Brentford have had an interesting rivalry with Arsenal since earning promotion to the top flight, losing only twice in their four games. Last season, their draw at the Emirates caused controversy as Ivan Toney’s late equaliser should have been chalked off.
Those are matters of the past, as Brentford will look to put another dent in Arsenal’s title hopes and make them work hard at the Gtech Community Stadium. They currently sit 11th in the table, but mathematically. The Bees are closer to the top four than the relegation zone, which could motivate the Bees to fight for a European finish at the end of the season.
Arsenal have had a fantastic record away from home, and their last game on the road stirred controversy. The loss to Newcastle United set the Gunners back in their quest to challenge Manchester City for the title. But a win over Burnley and their rivals dropping points have brought them back into the fold.
🗞 Managing his 200th game
🗞 Record against Saturday's opponent
🗞 Team newsRead every word of Mikel’s pre-Brentford presser 👇
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 24, 2023
Before the international break, Arsenal comfortably beat Burnley at the Emirates courtesy of goals from Leandro Trossard, William Saliba and Oleksandr Zinchenko. Mikel Arteta continues to remain embroiled in refereeing controversy but will focus on matters at hand with his side’s tricky trip to Brentford.
Last season, the Gunners proved their mettle at this venue and ran out of comfortable 3-0 winners. Two of the goalscorers from that game may not feature this time out. But Arteta will want three points to keep up the pressure at the top and will have a firm eye on Saturday’s lunchtime fixture between Manchester City and Liverpool. Arsenal could go top with a win, depending on what happens at the Etihad.
Team News & Tactics
Brentford
Brentford have new injury concerns, and Josh Dasilva doubts with a thigh problem. Aaron Hickey, Mikkel Damsgaard, Keane Lewis-Potter, Kevin Schade, and Rico Henry are all absent from action, with the latter likely to miss the whole season with a knee problem.
The international break is over
We return to action on Saturday 🔥 pic.twitter.com/wN6qcnq9s8
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) November 23, 2023
Thomas Frank might revert to a back four at home instead of fielding five defenders against Liverpool before the international break. The big news from the international break was key defender Nathan Collins suffering an ankle ligament problem.
The issue will likely keep the centre-back out of the Arsenal clash, and Brentford will hope he only misses a few weeks of action. Ben Mee and Ethan Pinnock could take those central berths, with Kristoffer Ajer, fresh from signing a new contract, starting at right-back. Mads Roerslev will keep his place at left back, with Frank going with a back four.
Midfield powerhouse Christian Norgaard will sit at the base, with Vitaly Janelt and Mathias Jensen on either side. Frank will not tinker too much with his front line, although Neal Maupay should lead the line for the Bees with support from Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa from the wide areas.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Flekken; Ajer, Ben Mee, Pinnock, Roerslev; Janelt, Norgaard, Jensen; Mbeumo, Maupay, Wissa
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta addressed the press and confirmed some of his previously absent stars could come into contention for the trip to Brentford. Martin Odegaard, who had missed the last few games, has returned to training. At the same time, Gabriel Jesus quickly recovered from a hamstring issue by featuring for 90 minutes for Brazil against Argentina.
🔙 🫡
📍 London Colney pic.twitter.com/Lm8ZH7bRsi
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 23, 2023
The big talking point before the game was Arsenal’s reported decision to trigger on-loan Brentford star David Raya’s buy option. As for the game on Saturday, the Spaniard is ineligible, meaning it is a big chance for Aaron Ramsdale to shine in what looks like a rare start for the England international.
The club showed no resistance with Jesus, but Arteta will remain cautious and most probably start the Brazilian on the bench. Arsenal have many other stars out injured, with Emile Smith Rowe, Jurrien Timber and Thomas Partey all out of action. There are also concerns with Ben White’s fitness. So with a crunch period coming up, Arteta might continue with Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Fabio Vieira’s red card against Burnley will keep him out of this one. But otherwise, the Arsenal stars came through the international break unscathed. Arteta’s midfield has worked in the last few games, and the manager will feel no need to change that just yet.
Hence, that could allow Kai Havertz to continue starting in Martin Odegaard’s right-eight position, with Jorginho and Declan Rice keeping their spots. Arteta will also name an unchanged front three of Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Havertz, Jorginho, Rice; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli
Key Stats
- Only Liverpool and Manchester City have lost fewer home Premier League games than Brentford in 2023.
- Brentford are on a 14-game unbeaten run in London derbies.
- Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 16 London derbies.
- Arsenal have yet to lose back-to-back Premier League away games since May 2022.
- Leandro Trossard has scored in three of his four Premier League appearances against Brentford.
Player to Watch
Gabriel Magalhaes
Gabriel Magalhães Hive 🇧🇷 🪨 pic.twitter.com/zq8qTLZPQD
— Le African Gooner (@leafricangooner) November 17, 2023
The centre-back has continued to have a good run of form with Arsenal but not so much with his national team since his recent call-up. Gabriel came in for criticism for his Brazil displays during the international breaks and must bounce back to show he is still worthy of a place.
Making the long trip from South America to London, Gabriel will face a tricky situation handling Brentford’s attackers, especially Bryan Mbeumo and Neal Maupay. The Brazilian must showcase his superiority in this fixture to give Arsenal the base at the back, as his performance will have to be top-notch if the Gunners seek to win away at the Bees.
Prediction
Brentford 1-2 Arsenal
Brentford have shown on more than one occasion that they are a capable enough unit under Frank and cause plenty of problems for their opposition. They also have an immaculate record in London derbies, as the Bees are unbeaten in 14 such clashes.
Despite the many injury problems Mikel Arteta has to deal with, he still has a formidable set of players available for selection. Arsenal have the superior quality to take three points here, which will be crucial as there is plenty at stake for the Gunners to win and apply pressure on Liverpool and Manchester City ahead of them in the table.
