"It will not be easy" - Pundit predicts 'interesting' Arsenal vs Brentford game at Emirates
BBC pundit and former Blackburn Rovers striker Chris Sutton reckons Brentford could pose some problems for Arsenal when the two teams meet this weekend. However, he still expects the Gunners to edge the Bees and pick up a 2-1 win.
The two teams will clash in a Premier League encounter at the Emirates on Saturday (February 11). Mikel Arteta's side enter the game first in the standings, five points clear of second-placed Manchester City and with a game in hand. However, they lost their last game 1-0 at Everton.
Brentford, meanwhile, are up to seventh in the points table with 33 points from 21 games. Thomas Frank's side beat bottom-of-the-table Southampton 3-0 at home in their last game. Sutton expects a close match on Saturday and wrote in his column for the BBC:
"Last week was as poor a performance as I have seen all season from the Gunners, who didn't really dictate the game or ever look like they were in control.
They absolutely need to bounce back from that, and I think they will - but it will not be easy, because Brentford are streetwise, well organised and carry a real attacking threat. The Bees will be a handful, but Arsenal will find a way to win."
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The earlier meeting between the two teams at the Brentford Community Stadium ended in a 3-0 win for Arsenal in September. William Saliba, Gabriel Jesus and Fabio Vieira got on the scoresheet on that occasion. It remains the Bees' only loss at home this season.
Speaking about that result, Sutton said:
"This is a really interesting game because of Arsenal's last result, their defeat at Everton, and Brentford's form - they are unbeaten for nine games now. The Gunners are the only team who have beaten the Bees on their own patch this season - a really impressive 3-0 win in September which was the first real statement that Mikel Arteta's side meant business in the title race."
He continued:
"Arteta could really do with a similar result this time, to get back on track after that Everton defeat before Manchester City visit Emirates Stadium next Wednesday."
What happened when Arsenal last hosted Brentford at the Emirates?
Arsenal last welcomed Brentford to the Emirates in the second half of the 2021-22 Premier League season. The fixture came with an edge to it, as the Bees had convincingly beaten the Gunners 2-0 on the opening day of the campaign at the Brentford Community Stadium.
This time, though, Arteta's men extracted revenge by picking up a 2-1 win. Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka scored in the second half to put the hosts in control. Christian Norgaard halved the deficit in second half injury time, but it was a mere consolation for Brentford.
FULL-TIME Arsenal 2-1 Brentford
Two excellent second-half goals from Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka see Arsenal over the line at Emirates Stadium
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Another exciting encounter between the two teams now awaits on Saturday.