Mikel Arteta has used Ivan Toney insult to turn Arsenal into title contenders
The narrative could write itself when Brentford head to north London on Saturday evening.
Ivan Toney’s most likely summer destination remains Arsenal and it would be quite the twist were he to score a goal that not just leads his struggling team to a shock result but hampers Mikel Arteta ’s title bid. The Gunners boss has already said in the build up to this game that the transfer plans have been set in stone for months - meaning Toney is expected to be their first target when attempting to secure a prolific, traditional No9.
“The plans that we have for the summer are very clear,” he said on Thursday. “They were done almost at the start of the season understanding what we can have, the contract situations with some players, and how we can improve certain areas of the team. This situation doesn’t change that.”
Yet beyond talk of £100m fees and whether Toney is the man to help Arsenal hit new heights, there is another element to the Toney-Arsenal dynamic that might still be in the back of minds - the teams’ first Premier League meeting.
On a balmy Friday night in August 2021, Arsenal departed west London having been bullied into mistakes by the top flight’s new arrivals. Brentford were excellent: they had a game plan and executed it to near perfection. But Arsenal looked flimsy, familiar failings their downfall.
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Yet Toney’s gloating post - "Nice kickabout with the boys" - to Twitter that night was used as fire by Arteta in the reverse fixture. On the largely forgettable Amazon documentary charting their season, the Arsenal boss was recorded delivering his pre-match team talk with a screenshot on a TV in the dressing room.
“I have managed to keep it in my stomach for six months,” Arteta said. “This is Toney [show's tweet] after the game when we played them at Brentford.
"You know what he did, you know his tweet? 'Nice kickabout with the boys this afternoon'. So, today they play in our house guys, and there is only one team in that f****** pithead. Only team, they don't play, we take the f****** ball, we take the game and we go for it. Let's win this f****** game let's go."
Since then Arsenal have won three and drawn one of their meetings with the Bees and it would be an even bigger shock than that 2021 defeat were they to lose on Saturday night.
While a direct reference to a three-and-a-half year old social media post before kick off is unlikely, this game is an opportunity for Arsenal to both continue their supreme start to the calendar year and make it clear that they are physically and mentally more formidable.
Arsenal have been dominant in the Premier League in 2024 and are heavy favourites against Brentford tonight. (Rich Linley - CameraSport via Getty Images)With Manchester City facing Liverpool on Sunday afternoon, Arsenal might not only spend one night on top of the table but close the matchweek leading the three-horse race.
Regardless of how the campaign pans out, Arteta has erased many of the doubts around their mentality. They have had a couple of blips, notably at Christmas, but there is a steeliness to his squad that has not been seen in north London for some time.
Brentford, on the other hand, are in a dire run of form - losing 12 of their past 16 - and only six points above relegation. Toney’s return was meant to lead them up the table. No better stage, then, than to send a message - although do not expect another playful post on X.
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