Arsenal held by Brentford as title race pressure intensifies
Gunners drop points despite second-half breakthrough
Arsenal’s advantage at the top of the Premier League has been reduced to four points after a hard-fought 1-1 draw away at Brentford. Mikel Arteta’s side appeared on course to secure a vital victory when Noni Madueke broke the deadlock just after the hour mark, but Brentford responded strongly to earn a share of the spoils.
The Gunners travelled to west London knowing Manchester City had already applied pressure with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Fulham the day before. Without defensive leader William Saliba, who missed the match through illness, Arsenal struggled to find their usual rhythm for long periods.
Brentford threaten early as Arsenal struggle for control
The hosts began the match with intensity and nearly punished Arsenal midway through the first half. A misplaced throw from David Raya was intercepted by Mathias Jensen, who delivered a precise cross toward Igor Thiago. The striker looked certain to score, but Raya redeemed himself with a superb one-handed save to keep the scores level.
Arsenal failed to create any meaningful chances before the break, prompting Arteta to make an important change at half-time. Eberechi Eze, making his first league start in two months, was replaced by captain Martin Ødegaard in an attempt to spark creativity.
Madueke delivers but Brentford respond with late pressure
Arsenal showed greater urgency after the restart and eventually found the breakthrough on the hour. Piero Hincapié recovered a defensive clearance and delivered a perfectly weighted cross, allowing Madueke to power home a precise header.
However, Brentford refused to fade and began pushing forward with increasing confidence. Their persistence paid off with 19 minutes remaining when Michael Kayode’s long throw created chaos inside the penalty area. Sepp van den Berg flicked the ball on, and Keane Lewis-Potter reacted quickest to head home the equaliser.
Dramatic finish sees both sides miss chances to win
The final stages produced end-to-end drama as both teams searched for a decisive goal. Brentford almost completed the comeback when Thiago raced through on goal, but a crucial sliding tackle from Cristhian Mosquera denied him a clear scoring opportunity.
Thiago then squandered a golden chance in stoppage time by firing over with only Raya to beat. Arsenal nearly snatched victory moments later when substitute Gabriel Martinelli tested Caoimhín Kelleher, but the Brentford goalkeeper produced an excellent save to secure a point for the hosts.
The result keeps Arsenal top of the table but hands fresh momentum to Manchester City as the title race continues to tighten.
