Arsenal vs Brentford: Instant Reaction

Straight into it

Headline: Avoid the trap

It would have been easy enough to look past this match. Bretford are not nearly as formidable as they have been previously since coming up, they are decimated with injury and have just been off all season. Arsenal have a massive match Tuesday in the Champions League and have all the momentum from big wins and this match at home.

It was on paper the most trappy of trap games.

Arsenal looked set to make sure they didn’t step in it going ahead with a Declan Rice goal but then the narrative nearly jumped out and got Arsenal with Aaron Ramsdale having his launched ball blocked into goal for an equalizer.

Brentford had something to cling on to with that and looked to muck the game up.

Arsenal had most of the ball and most of the territory but struggled to create a clear opening with the game getting chopped up.

Brentford had a few chances on the break, giving Ramsdale a chance at some redemption making pivotal saves.

Ultimately as my hope was draining Arsenla’s pressure broke through with none other than Kai Havertz scoring the winner from a well-taken cross. It was nice that it was Havertz as well who scored the goal. The player who has been under the microscope all season came through and delivered a thumping header to put Arsenal ahead, and did so when he might not have fully deserved to even be on the pitch after trying to buy a penalty, thankfully the slightest contact might have saved him from a yellow there.