Brentford 0-1 Arsenal: 5 hits and flops as Havertz’s late winner sends Arsenal top of the table | Premier League 2023-24
Kai Havertz’s dramatic late winner saw Arsenal defeat Brentford 1-0 in their Premier League encounter on Saturday (November 25).
Even though Arsenal were the more dominant side in the first half, Brentford remained a threat on the break. Both sides had one stand-out chance to take the lead but neither could capitalize and it remained goalless at half-time.
The game continued in a similar fashion in the second half as well, with the hosts looking increasingly comfortable in their defensive setup. However, the visitors struck the decisive blow late on, with Havertz heading one home in the 89th minute.
They then saw out the win fairly comfortably, rising to the top of the Premier League table in the process.
On that note, here are five hits and flops from the game.
#5 Hit: Kai Havertz
Kai Havertz’s Arsenal career has not gotten off to the best of starts since his summer move from London rivals Chelsea. The German has struggled to find his place in the Gunners’s side and has been played in a variety of positions across the forward line and midfield thus far.
In 20 matches this season, across competitions, the 24-year-old has registered just two goals and one assist.
However, Havertz made his most notable contribution in an Arsenal shirt yet in this game, netting a crucial late winner in the 89th minute, just 10 minutes after coming on. This could provide the impetus for him to kick on and be a much more valuable asset to the Gunners in the games to come.
#4 Flop: Aaron Ramsdale
Having seemingly been displaced as Arsenal’s No.1 by David Raya, Ramsdale was back in goal for this game. With Raya ineligible to face his parent club, this was Ramsdale’s opportunity to stake a claim for more regular game time.
Unfortunately for the Englishman, he failed to impress despite keeping a clean sheet.
With Brentford’s attacks coming few and far between, Ramsdale put his team under pressure through mistakes of his own making. He presented Brentford with the ball dangerously close to his own goal twice in the first half, but the Bees failed to capitalize.
While it did the job on the day, Ramsdale’s nervy performance is unlikely to instill confidence in his manager. As such, Raya is likely to be back in goal for the Gunners when they next take to the pitch.
#3 Hit: Gabriel Magalhaes
Up against the trickery and physicality of Bryan Mbuemo, Gabriel more than held his own as he kept the Cameroon international in check. Alongside William Saliba, the Brazilian formed a formidable defensive unit that did not afford Brentford much joy.
Gabriel was tough in the tackle and confident on the ball, playing it out from the back with confidence. He won seven of his nine duels, also making five recoveries as Arsenal had 63.7 percent possession in the game.
After being in and out of the side at the start of the season, the Brazilian seems to have established himself as a first-team regular at this stage.
#2 Flop: Yoane Wissa
Ivan Toney’s long-term absence has seen Yoane Wissa replace the Englishman in Brentford’s starting lineup this season. Although he has shown his best form coming off the bench, Wissa has proved a competent strike partner for Bryan Mbuemo thus far.
However, on a night where Brentford’s fortunes rested heavily on their forwards being able to fashion chances on the break, Wissa produced a rather ineffectual performance. This led to him being replaced in the 72nd minute.
The Congolese forward had just 16 touches during his time on the pitch and was marked out of the game by Saliba.
#1 Hit: Oleksandr Zinchenko
Oleksandr Zinchenko was one of Arsenal’s most influential players in this game, putting in an excellent shift at left-back.
The Ukrainian got forward to great effect, making no less than 10 passes into the final third. Stepping up into the midfield from defense, he completed the most passes (70) in the game and was also the most accurate passer (93 percent) to play more than 45 minutes.
In addition to his attacking contributions, Zinchenko also made five recoveries and made a crucial clearance off the goal line in the second half. An integral part of the side, Arsenal will be hoping that he stays fit for the remainder of the season.