5 talking points as Nelson fires Arsenal to Brentford win as Ramsdale impresses
A much-changed Arsenal side narrowly saw off the challenge of a resilient Brentford in the EFL Cup thanks to an early Reiss Nelson goal.
Nelson – one of eight changes to the Gunners line-up from the weekend derby draw against Tottenham – netted from close-range after being teed up by Eddie Nketiah, who pounced on a loose backpass from Zanka.
This was a close, competitive half which had a stop-start nature, not helped by the heavy rain and swirling wind. The Bees came out much stronger after the break and dominated the chances, with Aaron Ramsdale – restored to Mikel Arteta’s starting XI – pulling off a fine save to tip Yoan Wissa’s effort onto the post as the home side pushed for a leveller.
It was a positive night for the Gunners in a tough assignment with multiple changes, including a senior debut for teenage talent Charles Sagoe Jr. Here are five talking points from the Gtech Community Stadium.
“England’s number one!”
Aaron Ramsdale was restored to the Arsenal XI at Brentford (Julian Finney/Getty Images)The visiting support were vocal in their backing of Aaron Ramsdale, who was restored to the Arsenal XI after a three-game absence. It appears that David Raya has replaced him as Arteta’s preferred No.1, although the Spaniard was not included in the matchday squad for this clash against his parent club.
Mikel Arteta's dream Arsenal line up as last-gasp January transfers are secured
Arteta insists that there is no preference for which of the two goalkeepers start, although Ramsdale may have cause to fear his status has diminished. He certainly has not lost the support of Gunners fans, who chanted how he was also first-choice for England (although he is technically behind Jordan Pickford in the Three Lions pecking order).
This was an error-free and assured performance from Ramsdale, although the balance of probabilities dictate that Arteta may have already decided on his first-choice for Premier League and Champions League outings.
Havertz hands Arteta headache
Kai Havertz struggled to assert his authority against Brentford (Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)Mikel Arteta has placed a huge amount of trust in Kai Havertz by spending a significant transfer outlay to secure the German international but, just as with his teammate Jorginho, he has failed to hit the heights at Arsenal since moving from Chelsea.
Havertz had been ineffectual in his first eight matches for Arteta’s side, and is yet to find the net, but was restored to the starting line-up here after being named as a substitute in recent league games against Everton and Tottenham.
The 24-year-old failed to assert any real authority in this match, struggling to find space between Brentford’s compact defensive lines and unable to deliver any killer balls. Space opened up for a shot on the edge of the box just after the half-hour, but a timid effort was swiftly blocked. He was outshone by teammate Emile Smith-Rowe, also pushing for more prominence.
It was the Gunners youth product who was the most proactive of their forward unit at Brentford, constantly popping up in space and showing for the ball, and driving at the home side’s defence. For Havertz, he remains without a defined role in this Arsenal side and may not have done enough to force himself back into contention for a league start.
White takes Arteta instructions on board
Mikel Arteta was vocal with Ben White's positioning in defence (Julian Finney/Getty Images)Arsenal’s defensive selection for this game was always going to be interesting without central defensive star William Saliba, with Ben White retaining his place as right-back as Takehiro Tomiyasu played alongside Gabriel in the heart of defence.
That may have been slightly surprising in itself as White and Tomiyasu were naturally in their opposite positions, although Arteta has trusted White long-term in the full-back role. The Gunners boss was vocal with the former Brighton defender throughout the first half of this encounter.
Despite playing on the opposite side of the pitch to the dugouts, Arteta could be seen berating White for being out of position for a swift Bees counter-attack, and trying to play himself out of trouble in a dangerous area of the pitch. Later in the half, Arteta showed his appreciation of White taking his instruction on board – clapping the player and encouraging him to keep adapting the position.
Gunners banish Brentford trauma
Reiss Nelson gave Arsenal an early lead with a well-placed finish (David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)This is the fifth time these two London rivals have clashed since the Bees came back up to the top-flight in 2021 – and the Gunners were the visitors for the home side’s memorable return in 25 months ago, as goals from Sergi Canos and Christian Norgaard gave Thomas Frank’s side a deserved win.
Arsenal lose eight players and sign three as January transfer window closes
The Gunners have subsequently dealt much better with their opponents and were unbeaten in the subsequent three league meetings, including a comfortable three-goal triumph here last season. Brentford’s subsequent draw at the Emirates was a sharp reminder, as if one were needed, of how much trouble they can cause title-chasing sides.
Arsenal’s bid to end EFL Cup misery
Arteta is out to end Arsenal's drought in the EFL Cup (Julian Finney/Getty Images)Arsenal are one of England’s most successful clubs but they, somewhat remarkably, have not won the EFL Cup trophy since 1993. That represents a barren run of three decades in the competition, which brought painful final defeats in 2007, 2011 and 2018.
The north London side have lifted the trophy just twice in their history – eight other clubs have triumphed in it on more occasions – and while Arsene Wenger never won the trophy, Arteta did guide his side to a last four spot against Liverpool two seasons ago. With a multitude of Premier League sides having already exited the competition, this represents another opportunity for a deep run.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
