Mikel Arteta thinks Arsenal ‘always suffer’ whenever they play Brentford ahead of the Gunners taking on the Bees this Saturday after admitting his ‘hurt’ of dropping points.
The north London giants can move atop the Premier League table with a win over their west London rivals. Arsenal enter the weekend just two points behind leaders Liverpool across 27 games. While the Reds host Manchester City, who sit one point off the top spot, this Sunday.
A sensational run of form since their winter break in January has emphasised Arsenal’s place in the title fight. No other top-flight club has won each of their last seven games like Arteta’s team. Arsenal have even also scored 31 of their division-high 68 goals over that same streak.
Kai Havertz put Arsenal atop the Premier League by beating Brentford
Not since Arsenal lost at Fulham on New Year’s Eve has the Emirates Stadium outfit dropped a single point. They have further only conceded three goals in 2024 to also have the league’s best defensive record. Arsenal have allowed 23 for the division’s best goal difference of +45.
Arsenal needed an 89th-minute goal from Kai Havertz to beat Brentford 1-0 when the teams met in November, though. The Bees were set to frustrate the Gunners after keeping Arteta’s side at bay. But Havertz headed home Bukayo Saka’s late cross to go a point clear at the top.
Mikel Arteta admits the Gunners ‘always suffer’ against the Bees
Three points at the Gtech Community Stadium moved the Gunners into first after Liverpool and Manchester City drew 1-1 earlier that day. Yet Brentford threatened to deny Arsenal, as last-gasp clearances from Declan Rice and Oleksandr Zinchenko off the line kept them out.
A VAR review also denied Leandro Trossard a first-half goal to put Arsenal in front in Arteta’s 200th game in charge. And Arteta expects Brentford will prove a firm test for his team when Thomas Frank’s squad visit Arsenal before attentions turn to Liverpool and Manchester City.
“Every point that we left, or we left this season, hurts and that’s still there,” he said, via the Arsenal website. “We have a lot to play for. The difficulty of the match is always really tough.
“We’ve played them twice already and we suffered, we always suffer against Brentford. On Saturday, I expect a really similar match. That’s the only thing we can control – perform well, play better than them and earn the right to win the game.
“Let’s do that and if we do that, then on Sunday it’s a beautiful game to watch for any football supporter. I will certainly be watching it. I will enjoy a magnificent game of football between two of the best teams in Europe in the last decade and let’s see what that brings.”
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