"Arsenal were very lucky" - Thomas Frank makes salty claim after Brentford's Carabao Cup elimination
Brentford manager Thomas Frank believes Arsenal were lucky to beat his side 1-0 in the third round of the Carabao Cup last night (September 27).
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta made eight changes to his starting XI from the team that drew 2-2 against Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend in the Premier League. He handed opportunities to the likes of Charles Sagoe Jr, Jakub Kiwior, Emile Smith Rowe, and Reiss Nelson.
Nelson made the most of his start and gave Arsenal the lead in the eighth minute. Despite maintaining control in the first half, it was Brentford who looked more like scoring in the second half of the game. Aaron Ramsdale made several fine saves to ensure the Gunners secured a narrow 1-0 win at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Frank said following the game (via METRO):
"It was a good performance in the first half and excellent in the second half. I think Arsenal were very lucky to get away with this with the chances we created in the second half. We created good moments, pressed very well and high and won the ball back a lot of times."
He added:
"We created all the chances that you can ask for in a game like this and on another day they go in the back of the net. It’s very tough to take that we didn’t get something out of it, but tomorrow – with the 24-hour rule – I won’t be too disappointed. We need to look at the positives and move forward."
As a result of their win, Mikel Arteta and Co. progressed to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup. They will now face David Moyes' West Ham United at the London Stadium on October 31.
Brentford vs Arsenal: Exploring the stats from Carabao Cup clash
Arsenal were able to secure a hard-fought 1-0 win against Brentford on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup. Let's take a look at the stats to see if the former were as lucky as Thomas Frank believed they were.
The Gunners dominated possession, controlling 60% of the ball. They also registered 607 passes with an accuracy of 85%. On the other hand, Brentford had 40% possession and completed 404 passes with an accuracy of 75%.
The Bees did look more threatening in attack, having 18 shots in total, with four being on target. In comparison, Arsenal had 10 shots with just three on target. Aaron Ramsdale's saves in the second half were ultimately enough to thwart Brentford from getting back into the game.