An in-form Arsenal will be eager to get back to winning ways in the home game against a Brentford at the Emirates on Wednesday.
Arsenal had a tremendous week of football, as they took on Tottenham, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea in that period, with Brentford awaiting them next. However, after convincingly beating Tottenham and Bayern Munich, the Gunners struggled for relevance against Chelsea and only managed a cagey draw against the ten-man hosts at Stamford Bridge.
There was an edge to the game away at Chelsea, where Moises Caicedo received a straight red card for a violent foul on Mikel Merino. With the man advantage, Arsenal were seen as the clear favourites, but the Blues held their own and even took the lead early in the second half, only for Merino to equalise.
Mikel Arteta will have certainly have rued the chance at Stamford Bridge, where a win would have allowed Arsenal to maintain a seven-point gap over nearest rival Manchester City. However, they are currently five points ahead of Pep Guardiola’s side, and the Gunners boss will want to get back to winning ways when they host Brentford at the Emirates.
Meanwhile, visitors Brentford will want to do better away from home, as Keith Andrews will be aware of their dreadful record on the road this season. The Bees have proven to be a handful for some of the big teams on home soil, including wins over Manchester United and Liverpool, while drawing to Chelsea. It is the form on the road that will seemingly define their season to a degree.
Five losses in six away games in the season is not a record to be proud of, and Andrews must find a solution to their woes and probably look at their formidable home form for ideas. Facing Arsenal is a big task in itself, and Brentford will not want a sixth defeat on the road while at the Emirates.
Realistically, considering the kind of performances Brentford have put in, Andrews can certainly think about chasing a European place at the end of the campaign. Hence, the notion of performing better away from home should be taken seriously, but it may prove extremely challenging to get past a team like Arsenal in that regard on Wednesday.
Team News & Tactics
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta has some key issues with his squad, particularly central defence, following William Saliba’s late exclusion from the Chelsea clash. The Arsenal boss did not confirm whether the Frenchman was ready for the midweek clash, although he did mention that they will assess him in the final training session, and it will only be a matter of days for his return.
With Gabriel Magalhaes weeks away from returning, if Saliba is absent once again in midweek, Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie might continue again at the heart of the defence. Arteta could also ponder rotating his players a bit, as Ben White could be an option to replace Jurrien Timber if needed, while Riccardo Calafiori runs the risk of a suspension for the Aston Villa clash at the weekend if he picks up a yellow on Wednesday.
Hence, Myles Lewis-Skelly could be a risk worth taking for Arteta, given he will want Calafiori for a tricky fixture such as Aston Villa away. Meanwhile, the Arsenal boss might think about rotating his pack a bit, given the clash with Brentford is on home soil. So, Mikel Merino drop back into the midfield, allowing Declan Rice a much-needed rest ahead of the Aston Villa tie.
Viktor Gyokeres is fit again, having featured off the bench, and so is Martin Odegaard. So, this could be a game for either of those players to start. Much will depend on how Arteta envisages his lineup for Brentford, as there are lots of opportunities for rest, while Gabriel Martinelli could get another run in the left-wing role.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Raya; Timber, Mosquera, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly; Zubimendi, Merino; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Gyokeres
Brentford
On the injury front, Brentford do not have anything out of the ordinary, with Antoni Milambo, Paris Maghoma, and Frank Onyeka the ones currently out of contention. There is also no place in the squad for Reiss Nelson as loan rules prevent the winger from facing his parent club. Beyond that, Keith Andrews has a full set of players, which could enable him to select a strong lineup.
Andrews has often used a back five for games against the Big Six, and he may stick to a similar strategy away at Arsenal. Hence, a back three of Nathan Collins, Sepp van den Berg, and Kristopher Ajer might be in play, with Michael Kayode and Rico Henry reprising the wide roles.
Yehor Yarmolyuk and Jordan Henderson will assume the midfield roles, while Mikkel Damsgaard might be pushed to either an advanced attacking midfield role or could drift out wide depending on the front shape. Either way, Dango Ouattara and top scorer Igor Thiago are the two attackers to lead the line for Brentford against Arsenal.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Kelleher; Kayode, Collins, Van den Berg, Ajer, Henry; Yarmoliuk, Henderson; Damsgaard; Ouattara, Thiago
Key Stats
- Arsenal are undefeated in their last ten matches in the Premier League.
- Arsenal are undefeated in their last eight matches against Brentford in all competitions.
- Brentford have lost five of their six away games this season in the Premier League.
- Brentford have not won away at Arsenal since 1938.
- Brentford have won four of their last 23 Premier League London derby matches (D6 L13), with all four of those wins coming against either Crystal Palace (twice in 2024/25) or West Ham United (in February and October 2025).
Player to Watch
Bukayo Saka
The onus is on the England international to start delivering, following yet another frustrating outing from a number’s perspective. Saka has been putting in some eye-catching performances without goals or assists to show for his cause, and his assist against Chelsea was his first of the Premier League season.
A lot is riding for Arsenal this season, and Mikel Arteta will want Saka firing on all cylinders to provide the right support to the group. The academy graduate has all the ingredients to take the game on his own, and this clash with Brentford is a big opportunity for him to prove his doubters wrong.
Prediction
Arsenal 2-0 Brentford
The Bees are not necessarily a weak side, particularly at the back, and Keith Andrews might consider playing a back five to prioritise defending and keeping Arsenal at bay. However, they are facing a side that scored thrice against Bayern Munich recently, which does make Brentford the underdogs in this clash.
Arsenal are desperate to bounce back after dropping two valuable points at Stamford Bridge. Mikel Arteta will hope to have his players fresh for this clash to get a win and banish talk of a slip in the title race. A win is all but essential for the Gunners, and they are the favourites to collect three points against Brentford at the Emirates.
