Brentford 1-3 Arsenal: Gunners move into second place
Brentford 1-3 Arsenal: Gunners move into second place. The Premier League kicked off 2025 with the London derby as Brentford hosted Arsenal at the Gtech Stadium.
It was Bryan Mbeumo who fired the hosts in front early on, but Arsenal eased back into the ascendancy, levelling through Gabriel Jesus before half-time. A quick-fire pair of strikes from Mikel Merino and Gabriel Martinelli ultimately sealed all three points for the Gunners against a team with the joint-best home record in the division.
The result took Arsenal above surprise package Nottingham Forest into second place, while Brentford sit in a tightly-paced mid-table.
How the game unfolded:
After a cautious opening ten minutes that carried the sluggish feel of a New Year’s Day hangover, Mbeumo broke the deadlock with Brentford’s first shot of the match.
Capitalizing on a misplaced pass from Martin Odegaard near midfield, Mikkel Damsgaard set Brentford’s star man racing at Riccardo Calafiori. The Italian defender hesitated and retreated, giving Mbeumo the space to shift onto his stronger left foot and strike a precise shot past former teammate David Raya.
Raya, now in Arsenal’s goal, nearly gifted his old side another opportunity shortly before the half-hour mark. Keane Lewis-Potter’s shot slipped through his gloves, but Raya managed to recover just in time to prevent the ball from crossing the line. Moments later, however, the ball was in the opposite net.
Thomas Partey unleashed a shot from the edge of the box, forcing a save from Mark Flekken. The rebound fell perfectly for Gabriel Jesus, who headed over the Dutch keeper to equalize.
Arsenal fans erupted with chants of “Set piece again, ole, ole” five minutes into the second half when Merino bundled the ball into the net. A chaotic melee of turquoise shirts left Flekken bewildered as Arsenal took the lead.
The Gunners extended their advantage just minutes later through open play. Teenage sensation Ethan Nwaneri delivered a wicked cross from the right that Brentford’s defense failed to clear. The ball dropped to Martinelli, who smashed it into the net to make it 3-1.
The final 40 minutes lacked urgency from either side. Arsenal comfortably saw out the game, handing Brentford a second consecutive home defeat while keeping faint pressure on league leaders Liverpool.
