Thomas Partey’s goal at the end of a lightning fast counter-attack was not enough to take all three points against Brentford.
After a low-key first half, which was in stark contrast to Tuesday night’s drama, we finally went ahead on the hour mark.
The move started when David Raya claimed a Brentford corner inside his own six-yard box, and quickly released Declan Rice with a low roll out. Rice stormed forward before finding Partey, who was up from right back to drive home.
Brentford levelled though when Yoane Wissa swivelled smartly inside the area to scoop his shot beyond Raya.
We couldn’t find the winner after that, and attentions now turn back to the Champions League and our trip to Spain next week.
After the euphoria of Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Real Madrid, there was a job to be done in the Premier League, to keep up the pursuit of Liverpool at the top of the table.
Rice – fresh from his two incredible free-kicks on Tuesday night – was involved in our first two chances. He laid the ball off to Ethan Nwaneri inside the area who shifted it onto his left foot, but his shot was charged down. Then Rice started a move that resulted in Gabriel Martinelli winning a corner with a near post shot.
Aside from that though, there was little incident of note in the opening 20 minutes. Raya was called into action midway through the half, saving with his legs when Kristoffer Ajer broke into the box from right back.
We had the ball in the net shortly afterwards, but it was disallowed by the new semi-automated offside system via a VAR review. Nwaneri’s inswinging delivery was inch-perfect, but unfortunately the timing of Kieran Tierney’s run wasn’t.
The full back, making his first Premier League start since May 2023, planted his header beyond Mark Flekken, but replays showed he’d drifted offside at the crucial moment.
The visitors were arguably lucky not to be a man down when Christian Norgaard dived in with a scissor-challenge on Martinelli. The referee deemed it only worthy of a yellow card.
A vital last-ditch block from Ajer kept the match goalless. William Saliba – who was seeing more of the ball than most in forward areas – floated his pass into Martinelli, who took it under his spell wonderfully first time, before getting his shot away. But the Norwegian defender dived in to deny him.
The half ended with Leandro Trossard trying his luck from 20 yards. While his left-footed drive didn’t lack power, Flekken was able to push it away for a corner.
We took the lead on the hour mark, and it was the result of a simply stunning counter attack. Raya claimed a Brentford corner inside a crowded penalty area and immediately rolled the ball out to Rice. Our midfielder strode forward and turned on the turbo boosters.
He carried the ball sixty, seventy yards before slipping a pass to the overlapping Partey who rammed his shot high into the net. From box to box in the blink of an eye.
Mikel Arteta sent on Martin Odegaard, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Bukayo Saka in a triple change just afterwards.
We looked set to take charge with the Emirates crowd raising the decibel levels again.
But it was Brentford who struck back. This time we didn’t clear the danger from a corner, and when the second cross came back in, Nathan Collins headed it down for Wissa to finish well, with his back to goal.
It was back to square one, and we had the chance to instantly restore the lead when Saka dispossessed Flekken on the edge of the area. He spent just a fraction too long on the ball though, and he was tackled before he could get his shot away.
We had to play the final ten minutes, including injury-time, with just 10 men, as Jorginho went off injured after we’d already made all five subs.
Saka went on a mazy run deep in stoppage time in an attempt to find the late winner, but his low cutbacks were twice cut out.
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