ARSENAL’S FAINT Premier League title hopes were effectively extinguished as a late equaliser from Yoane Wissa earned Brentford a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Mikel Arteta’s side were on a high after their stunning 3-0 win over Champions League holders Real Madrid in the quarter-final first leg in north London on Tuesday.
But the second-placed Gunners were unable to use the momentum from that remarkable victory to put pressure on Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Although Thomas Partey gave Arsenal the lead in the second half, Wissa’s leveller left them 10 points behind Liverpool, who host West Ham in their game in hand on Sunday.
Liverpool need just nine points from their last seven games to be crowned English champions for a record-equalling 20th time and first since 2020.
Arsenal are destined to finish as runners-up in the title race for a third successive season, but their focus was already firmly fixed on winning the Champions League for the first time.
With that in mind, Arteta made five changes ahead of Wednesday’s second leg in Madrid as Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber, Mikel Merino and Myles Lewis-Skelly were all rested.
Gabriel Martinelli threatened in the early moments, but Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken was equal to his strike.
There was a feeling of anti-climax after the drama and passion on display on the pitch and in the stands against Real.
- Brentford hit back -
Arsenal’s fans were inevitably unable to match the atmosphere that rocked the Emirates in midweek, and the players did little to raise the decibel levels with their flat opening.
Sensing an opportunity for his club’s first win at Arsenal since 1938, Kristoffer Ajer nearly put Brentford ahead with a low shot that David Raya blocked with his legs.
Kieran Tierney thought he had headed Arsenal into the lead after 26 minutes, but his effort was disallowed by the semi-automated offside system being used for the first time in the Premier League on Saturday.
Arsenal left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko was denied by Flekken before Declan Rice’s drive was repelled by the Dutchman.
Flekken made his best save of the half when he plunged to his left to keep out Leandro Trossard’s long-range blast.
But Flekken was finally beaten in the 61st minute as Rice showed there is more to his attacking game than unstoppable free-kicks.
When Raya caught a Brentford corner and rolled the ball out to Rice, the England midfielder embarked on a lung-bursting run from the edge of his own area into the Brentford box, where he laid a perfect pass to Partey, who smashed a clinical finish past Flekken.
Arteta sent on Saka, Odegaard and Lewis-Skelly in a bid to deliver the knockout blow.
But Brentford refused to be intimidated as the visitors snatched a well-crafted equaliser in the 74th minute.
Ireland international Nathan Collins met Michael Kayode’s cross with a header that Arsenal failed to clear as Wissa swivelled to fire past Raya from close range.
Saka wasted a chance to restore Arsenal’s lead with a tame finish and then curled just wide in stoppage time after Jorginho went off with a shoulder injury that forced the Gunners to play the final minutes with 10 men.
And this my friends……..
@Ray Ridge: Gave you a thumbs up Ray, cos I get a bit of craic outta you.
Anyway, if Liverpool win tomorrow, one more win very likely do it.
@ecrowley ecrowley: if only equalling arsenal’s results till they run out of games,so be it, tomorrow and next weekend the handiest of what’s left,two wins and I might lay of the anxiety tablets.
@Deano74: Ah it’s defo done pal, but I’d like it confirmed sooner than later.
@ecrowley ecrowley: I know,it’s like waiting on a bus,you know it’s coming,but you just want it here.
@Deano74: exactamundo
@ecrowley ecrowley: hope Ray doesn’t support Liverpool!?
@Deano74: Can you give them to me
@Tom Murphy: Arsenal fan i think
@Ray Ridge: friends???
@ecrowley ecrowley: Tbh I don’t Liverpool need to win another game in order to lift the trophy.
@SEAN: You’re a great friend of mine Seanie.
If Arsenal wet themselves against Madrid Wednesday night it won’t surprise me one bit.
The league is done and everyone knows it. Liverpool probably don’t even need another point the way Arsenal are going.
Main thing, no injuries ahead of the Madrid game. Pity they couldn’t rest more but it is what it is. Hopefully they played within themselves and are primed for Wednesday.
Hopefully Mbappe can do an Origi on them next Wednesday!
@Dan The Man: Hope arsenal go through
Hardly a slip up in fairness…..
@Paul Linehan: in the context of the title race of course it is. If Liverpool fail to capitalise on it tomorrow that’s an even bigger slip up
@Michael Mullins: what title race? It’s done since end of march.
@Paul Mallon: grand for us to say that here. Doubt that’s what Arteta is telling them before matches
@Michael Mullins: I’m sure Arsenal have a more realistic target in mind to be bothered by something they blew a long time ago.
Looked as of though the exertions against Real the other night caught up with Arsenal not only physically but mentally and emotionally too. Here’s hoping that they can raise their game again next week in bernabau otherwise they be in for one long long night
@Jed Ward: arsenal score in the 90 mins and it’s well done,at 3 nil it should be,but I seem to vaguely remember a certain side overcome a 3 nil against another Spanish heavy weight,best of luck anyway,enjoy.
@Jed Ward: Arsenal will go through
@SEAN: €1,000 says Real will go through
If Arsenal want CL trophy they’ll have to rest their first 11 regularly now come PL games as pathway to that trophy is probably PSG in semi and most probably Barcelona in the final. Gunners won’t half deserve trophy if they can put out Madrid and also those teams.
Same old arsenal
How poor are this Arsenal side
@james quinn: Apparently Arsenal have spent 1.4 billion since 2017. Klopp lifted how many trophies with about 1/30th of that budget and assisted Slot with another!
@Dan The Man: Yep. With City in a title race, Liverpool were winning nearly every game after xmas and twice came up 1 point short getting the likes of 97 points. With Arsenal u just know they can’t put a string of wins together. They needn’t use Europe as an excuse. Klopp won a Champions League and still got close to 100 points. Levels to this game.
@james quinn: Still poor enough to beat the champions league winner 3 zip
@Dan The Man: klopps net spend was roughly just shy of 350 million,in 9 years, Artetas net spend is roughly 540 million in five years.