A special guest was in attendance at the Emirates as Arsenal beat Brentford 2-0 in the Premier League.
Mikel Arteta watched his side restore their five-point lead at the summit of the Premier League table with a routine win over the Bees.
Though Brentford limited Arsenal in a way that hadn’t been seen all season, there was never any real doubt that the Gunners would get the three points over the line.
It was an encouraging win for Arsenal, who have had some tough matchups with Brentford over the years, with none as poignant as the 2021 defeat at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Mikel Arteta will love that Ivan Toney watched Arsenal beat Brentford at the Emirates
Ivan Toney taunted Arsenal by infamously posting the following message on X after Brentford beat the Gunners that day.
“Nice kick about with the boys,” the former Brentford striker said.
What was a simple message became a trigger for revenge in Arsenal’s dressing room, as seen in the All or Nothing documentary, which covered that season.
The saga from four years ago would’ve made Arteta even happier after matchday 14 of the 2025/26 season, as Toney was in the stands watching the action unravel.
Ivan Toney was in the stands last night…
Declan Rice posted a photo of himself and the Al-Ahli striker on Instagram, welcoming him at the Emirates to watch his former side suffer defeat.
The 29-year-old’s presence might’ve made the victory even sweeter for Arteta, who took offence to his post about Arsenal all those years ago.
Toney would still be a very good signing for Arsenal
Despite the social media controversy, Arteta actually discussed signing Toney, but came to the conclusion that he wasn’t the right fit with the group.
The England international shocked everyone by leaving the Premier League in 2024 to make the lucrative move to Saudi Arabia, but contrary to belief, it has not stopped him from earning the spotlight.
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Toney has netted 42 goals for Al-Ahli since making the move to the Middle East, proving himself to be one of England’s best goalscorers.
Despite signing Viktor Gyokeres in the summer, it could be argued that a player of Toney’s profile is still missing, a forward with pace, flair and Premier League experience.
It’s unlikely that Toney’s and Arsenal’s paths will cross in the future due to Arteta’s preferences, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not desirable.
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