Brentford 0-1 Arsenal: 5 Talking Points as the Gunners move to the next round with hard-fought win | Carabao Cup 2023-24
Arsenal defeated Brentford 1-0 away from home in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, September 27.
The Gunners made a positive start to the contest and dominated possession before scoring the opening goal after just eight minutes. Reiss Nelson showed great awareness as he readjusted his position and applied a composed finish to make 1-0.
Despite several attempts to penetrate the Gunners' back line, Brentford were unsuccessul as Yoanne Wissa was wasteful, while others did not get much of the ball in good positions.
With no shots on target in the first period, the hosts needed to regroup for the second period if they were to make a comeback.
Brentford put their best foot forward in the second period as they tried desperately to get back into the game but were simply not clinical enough. They attempted 15 shots to Arsenal's six in the second period, but hit the target just four times. Wissa's poor luck continued as he attempted a total of seven shots without scoring.
With the possession stats nearly equal in the second half, Brentford looked like they would equalize. However, Arsenal held on to secure a narrow victory.
On that note, let's take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5. The Gunners grabbed an early lead via Reiss Nelson
Having fielded a heavily-rotated squad, Arteta needed his players to respond positively and make a strong start away from home. Forwards Edward Nketiah and Reiss Nelson did just that as they combined to open the scoring for the Gunners after eight minutes.
The move developed from the right flank as Nketiah pounced on a heavy and misplaced pass from Zanka. His deflected pass fell straight to Nelson, who showed good composure to beat Mark Flekken at his near post to make it 1-0.
#4. Yoane Wissa was wasteful in the final third for Brentford
The hosts fell behind early in the game and looked to respond as they created several moves to get back in the game. Most of them were down the left wing as Yoane Wissa looked to receive the ball in deep areas and act as the playmaker. He also had a few opportunities to cross the ball but lacked decisiveness and was often wasteful.
He had 16 touches midway through the first period and gave the ball away 10 times in a slow start for The Bees. Wissa also missed a great chance to score after 33 minutes as he fired an open shot wide. In total, he hit the target just twice in seven attempts in the game.
#3. Emile Smith Rowe made his 100th Arsenal appearance
Having come through the youth ranks at Arsenal's Hale End academy, Smith Rowe rose to first-team prominence in Arteta's first season in 2019-20. He played a key role in helping the side stay afloat and secure key results.
The 23-year-old midfielder has struggled with injuries of late and has been unable to cement his spot in the side. Smith Rowe made his 100th appearance for Arsenal and will look to achieve greater heights with the club.
#2. Brentford are sorely missing Ivan Toney
Main man Ivan Toney was Brentford's trump card last season as he scored 21 goals and provided five assists across competitions. Since then, he was found guilty of breaching several of the FA's betting rules and was subsequently suspended from the sport for a few months.
Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo have played a decent part so far in his absence but simply cannot replicate the aerial presence and strength that Toney brought to Thomas Frank's team.
#1. The Gunners will travel to West Ham in the next round
Having defeated fellow Premier League side Brentford 1-0, Arsenal will now face another familiar foe as they will travel to West Ham in the next round.
David Moyes' men, too, secured a narrow 1-0 win against Lincoln City, with Tomas Soucek grabbing the winning goal in the 70th minute.