Brentford 1-3 Arsenal: Five Fundamental Factors - Nwaneri is ready, Mbuemo still firing & Merino a joy to have
- Latrell Oscar
- Jan 3
- 6 min read
Brentford and Arsenal both aimed to kick off the new year with a strong performance and a potential victory in the latest Premier League London derby. The Bees entered the match seeking their first win in five games and were determined to avoid consecutive home league defeats for the first time this season. On the other hand, Arsenal hoped to start the new year in the same fashion as they ended the last, looking to extend their current three-game winning streak.
The 3-1 victory for the Gunners brought them within six points of league leaders Liverpool. Meanwhile, Brentford remained in 12th place, level on points with Tottenham but trailing due to goal difference. The Bees now had only one goal in their last two home matches, a stark contrast to the eleven goals they netted in their previous three home games.
THE TEAMS
BRENTFORD: M. Flekken (GK), K. Lewis-Potter, S. van den Berg, N. Collins, M. Roserslev, Y. Yarmoliuk, C. Norgaard (C), V. Janelt, M. Damsgaard, Y. Wissa, B. Mbuemo.
BRENTFORD SUBS: H. Rafn Valdimarsson (GK), K. Schade, M. Jensen, J. Meghoma, Y. Konak, E-P. Maghoma, K. Ji-Soo, T. Yogane, B. Arthur.
ARSENAL: D. Raya (GK), R. Calafiori, G. Magalhaes, W. Saliba, J. Timber, M. Merino, T. Partey, M. Odegaard (C), G. Martinelli, G. Jesus, E. Nwaneri.
ARSENAL SUBS: Neto (GK), K. Tierney, J. Kiwior, O. Zinchenko, L. Trossard, Jorginho, D. Rice, I. Kabia, M. Lewis-Skelly.
Mark Flekken returned for the home side after being substituted with an injury 36 minutes into the clash with Brighton. Sepp van den Berg and Yehor Yarmoliuk also entered Thomas Frank’s starting eleven whilst Kevin Schade dropped to the bench. For Arsenal, 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri moved into the right wing position, making his first start in the Premier League. Thomas Partey, Mikel Merino and Riccardo Calafiori were also reintroduced to The Gunners’ starting line-up.
THE SPOILT FOR SPORT FUNDAMENTAL FIVE FACTORS:
NUMBER 1)
Ethan Nwaneri has the ability to momentarily fill the void left by the sidelined Bukayo Saka.
In a match where Ethan Nwaneri made the first Premier League start of his career, the 17-year-old dazzled with his performance and ultimately rewarded Mikel Arteta for putting faith in him. The teenager was heavily involved in both of Arsenal’s second half goals helping provide the 3-1 victory over The Bees. Despite making his first Premier League start, Nwaneri did not show any signs of fear or nervousness. On the right-hand side of Arsenal’s attack, there are big shoes to fill but Nwaneri’s ability to drive forward with the ball and take on a defender in one on one situations has given hope to The Gunners about temporary life without Bukayo Saka. During the contest, Nwaneri played for 78 minutes before being substituted and replaced by Leandro Trossard. In the time that he played he created the second most chances in the game and successfully completed two out his three dribbles. Although his performance was not perfect, it is definitely one that can be built upon and give Arsenal fans and Mikel Arteta some joy.
NUMBER 2)
Bryan Mbuemo is showing no signs of slowing down in this campaign.
The name ‘Bryan Mbuemo’ has been ringing around The Premier League throughout the 2024/2025 season. The Cameroon international has been firing for Brentford this season, stepping up in the absence of Ivan Toney who left the club in the summer. So far, Mbuemo has netted 11 times for The Bees in the league this season which already makes it his best goal scoring campaign with his previous highest tally being nine. After a strong start to the season, spectators questioned whether the 25-year-old would be able to sustain his performance levels over the festive period as matches became tougher. Well since the start of December, Mbuemo has had five goal contributions which includes goals against Newcastle, Chelsea and now, Arsenal. Question answered.
NUMBER 3)
The Gabriel Martinelli goal contributions will begin to rise again.
For some time now Gabriel Martinelli has been subject to criticism about his poor goal scoring output and threat. Since the 2022/2023 season where Martinelli had a combined total of 20 goals and assists, the Brazilian international has failed to crack more than ten in a league campaign. Although this is not the end of the world, many Arsenal fans have voiced their disappointment with the 23-year-old’s progress. However, against Brentford Martinelli made sure that these critics were momentarily silenced with his showing. Whilst creating the most chances in the game and creating more chances than the entire Brentford squad combined, Martinelli proved that when called upon he can be a creative conductor for The Gunners. Previously, I mentioned that somebody would need to step up and provide greater creative production for Arsenal whilst Bukayo Saka is sidelined. Gabriel Martinelli seems more than ready for the call and with most of Arsenal’s attacks focusing primarily down the flanks, I would expect us to see a spike in the number of goals and assists provided by the Brazilian during this period.
NUMBER 4)
Mikel Arteta currently has a number on Thomas Frank.
Entering the game, Brentford held the best home record in the Premier League alongside Liverpool. This record has had the Gtech Community Stadium labelled as the home of entertainment but also a fortress for The Bees. Thomas Frank has had a major part to play in Brentford’s success. Having been with the club since 2018, Frank has not only helped Brentford see promotion to the Premier League, but he has also helped them remain there. In Brentford’s first Premier League match, Thomas Frank coached the side to the unthinkable as they defeated Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal 2-0. However, since this victory Brentford have not been able to beat The Gunners again. Before the match, Arsenal and Mikel Arteta had won three straight matches and had also not lost in six against the West London side. Now with the latest 3-1 win, Arsenal have won four straight against The Bees and Mikel Arteta has gone the last seven meetings against Thomas Frank without facing defeat. A pattern and theme that continues in the new year.
NUMBER 5)
Mikel Merino is not a joy to watch, but he is a joy to have for Arsenal.
The signing of 2024 European Championship winner Mikel Merino had mixed reactions within the football world. The mixed reactions mainly stemmed from the perception that Arsenal had not completed the correct transfer business within the transfer window. Mikel Merino is a player who Mikel Arteta had admired for some time. The Spanish international stands at 6’2” and is mainly known for his strength as well as physicality in midfield. Since joining The Gunners in the summer, Merino has been questioned about his performances despite only making six league starts so far. The criticism is very harsh to say the least. In yesterday’s match, Mikel Merino won possession for Arsenal in the attacking final third five times — this is the most by any player in the Premier League this season. This is the story of Mikel Merino, he is a midfield controller. He is responsible for helping create dominance through his duel winning and ball winning ability. Merino is not a fancy dribbler or the greatest playmaker which ultimately frustrates fans, however he is very successful in his role. In the calendar year of 2024, Mikel Merino won the most duels out of all players from the top five European leagues with 342 duels won. Last night, Merino had seven recoveries which was the second most in the match behind William Saliba with 11. Whilst Saliba recovers the ball at the back, Merino specialises in winning the ball further up the pitch. This dynamic allows Arsenal to create more chances and capitalise on teams relentlessly turning the ball over. Although argued as unpleasant to watch, the Spaniard is a joy for Mikel Arteta as he provides high pressing up the pitch and physicality to the midfield which helps Arsenal against tough opposition.
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