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Arsenal defeated Brentford 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday, March 9. The result lifts them to the top of the table.
The Gunners entered this contest on the back of an incredible run of form. They won each of their last seven league games, scoring 31 goals and conceding just three in the process. Their last outing was a comprehensive 6-0 win against Sheffield United. Mikel Arteta was forced to make two changes as Aaron Ramsdale and Leandro Trossard started.
The Bees, on the other hand, entered this contest on the back of a rather poor run of form. With just one win in their last five, Thomas Frank's men were not particularly well placed heading into this contest. They lost 4-2 against West Ham United, before drawing 2-2 against Chelsea in their last game. Frank fielded a competitive XI for this game.
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Arsenal made a bright start to the game and kept the ball for extended periods of time. They played most of their football in Brentford's half but struggled to find inroads into their 18-yard box. However, Ben White's cross found Declan Rice, who placed his header with great accuracy past Mark Flekken to make it 1-0 after 19 minutes.
The Gunners had 72% possession in the first half and did not allow Brentford to gain momentum. The Bees still managed four shots with two of those on target. However, their goal came from a glaring mistake by Arsenal custodian Aaron Ramsdale. The Englishman delayed his clearance as Yoane Wissa closed him down and scored on the cusp of half-time as the teams were tied 1-1.
Arsenal had the exact same possession stats for the second period and piled the pressure on Brentford. They started the second period strong and earned a flurry of corners but were unable to score from them. The Bees did well to slow the game down and take their time for throw-ins and goal-kicks. This added an extra edge to the game as both sets of players were involved in clashes.
Both managers made changes to their teams for the last quarter of the game but Arsenal had the last laugh. Ben White produced his second assist of the game with a lovely cross towards Kai Havertz, whose header had too much power on it for Flekken to save. The Gunners held their nerve and their 2-1 advantage to secure their 20th win of the season.
On that note, let's take a look at the five hits and flops from the match.
#5. Hit - Yoane Wissa (Brentford)
Yoane Wissa showed great commitment for his team and put his body on the line at times. His efforts resulted in Brentford leveling the game just before half-time as the Congolese forward closed down Ramsdale to force a goal.
Wissa won six of his 10 duels, making one clearance and one tackle as well. He attempted three shots, of which one was on target, one was off-target and the other was blocked. He was also booked for a cheeky pull on Ramsdale as he was about to kick the ball.
#4. Flop - Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
Ramsdale made his first start for Arsenal in over six months and distributed the ball well. He also made one good save in the first half. However, his lack of urgency in clearing the ball cost his team a goal in a very crucial moment.
The Englishman received the ball from Gabriel Magalhaes and took a slightly heavy first touch. This allowed Brentford striker Yoane Wissa to close him down and steal a goal just before half-time.
Ramsdale partly redeemed himself with two good reflex saves in the second half, including one from close-range to tip the ball over. However, such errors could be very costly in such a close title race.
#3. Hit - Declan Rice (Arsenal)
Declan Rice made a great start to the game and grabbed his sixth goal of the season in the 19th minute. Rice was perfectly placed to get to White's cross and scored with an accurate header to deceive Flekken in Brentford's goal.
Rice also had a good game in midfield and showed good positional awareness to make some key tackles. He won eight duels and also made one clearance and one block. He attempted three shots, with one of those being his goal, and another hitting the woodwork from a lovely curling effort.
#2. Flop - Frank Onyeka (Brentford)
The Nigerian made a rather aggressive start to the contest which resulted in a booking, putting himself and Brentford under pressure. Despite playing 78 minutes, he had just 21 touches of the ball but was dispossessed eight times.
Onyeka also won just four of his nine duels in midfield as he could not commit himself fully to tackles for over 80 minutes. He played a remarkably low five passes throughout his time on the pitch in a rather ineffective display.
#1. Hit - Benjamin White (Arsenal)
Benjamin White had one of his best games in an Arsenal shirt in this win. The Englishman was solid in defence, winning two duels and making one tackle. He passed the ball with 89% accuracy, including three key passes, two crosses and one long balls.
White was the chief provider for the Gunners tonight as he assisted both their goals. The first one came early in the first half as Bukayo Saka played the ball to White after some intricate play. The full back then crossed it into a dangerous zone as Declan Rice attacked it to score.
Ben White's second assist came in the 86th minute as Arsenal snatched a later victory courtesy of Havertz. The Englishman made a good run down the right flank and found the German with a perfectly-weighted cross.
