FROM THE GTECH COMMUNITY STADIUM – Arsenal came from behind away at Brentford to start 2025 with a 3-1 win on New Year’s Day.
Bryan Mbeumo fired the hosts into an early lead, but Arsenal clawed their way back into the lead, equalizing through Gabriel Jesus before half-time. A pair of quick-fire strikes from Mikel Merino and Gabriel Martinelli ultimately sealed all three points for the Gunners against the team with the joint best home record in the division.
The result moved Arsenal above surprise pack Nottingham Forest into second place, while Brentford are in tight mid-table.
How the match unfolded
After a rather tricky first ten minutes that clumsily had the impression of a New Year’s hangover, Mbeumo fired the home team into the lead with the first shot of the game.
Mikkel Damsgaard pounced on Martin Odegaard’s stray pass on the halfway line, setting the ball up Brentforda talisman rushing straight at Riccardo Calafiori. The Italian back-pedaled timidly, giving Mbeuma space to cut onto his stronger left foot and pull a sharp shot away from his former team-mate David Raya.
The former Bees goalkeeper almost did his old team another favor when he let Keane Lewis-Potter’s shot slip through his gloves just before the half-hour mark. Ray spared his own blushing, hastily grabbing the wet ball from his own goal line. There wasn’t another break in the game before the same wet ball found its way into Mark Flekken’s net.
Thomas Partey took aim from the edge of the penalty area, forcing a save that was deflected by Flekken into the path of a grateful Jesus, who headed the Dutchman over.
“Put it back, ole, ole,” was the chant that rang out from the din Arsenal visiting contingent five minutes after the restart. Merino added the final touch, but it was a collective effort from a bunch of turquoise shirts that left Flekken dazed and disoriented.
The Gunners soon realized their advantage from open play. 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri delivered a devilish cross from the right wing which Brentford failed to clear, allowing the ball to fall to the feet of Martinelli who put Arsenal 3-1 up in the 53rd minute.
Neither side strained too much over the final 40 minutes as Arsenal handed their fading hosts a second consecutive home defeat and kept a whisper of pressure on leaders Liverpool.
Check Brentford v Arsenal player ratings.
When Ethan Nwaneri came out on a Premier League first time on a football pitch, aged just 15 years and 181 days, it was at the Gtech Community Stadium in Brentford. Less than two-and-a-half years later, still not old enough to vote, sit on the jury or buy fireworks for New Year’s celebrations, Arteta deemed Nwaneri old enough to start a Premier League game for the first time.
A bunch of sharp turns from a sharper mind, constantly poking the ball with his left foot like a woodpecker’s beak on a piece of bark, Nwaneri took the momentous opportunity. It was poor Keane Lewis-Potter – a natural winger who Thomas Frank converted to full-back and moved to left-back on Wednesday – that led to the teenager’s cross that led to Martinelli’s strike.
Nwaneri even had his name on the away side, with Mohamed Elneny’s ‘Twist and Shout’ homage repurposed for the youngster.
In an ideal world, Arteta’s lineups would be tattooed on the team sheet. But a combination of injury, illness and a reluctant rotation forced the Gunners into an unusually high four substitutions from a side that beat Ipswich Town 1-0 last month.
The physicality that Kai Havertz usually brings when he’s not homesick is missed, the ball too often firing away from Jesus’ leaden feet. Riccardo Calafiori, a £42m summer signing, has struggled far more than his teenage replacement Myles Lewis-Skelly and – as always – Declan Rice’s absence was glaring.
Thomas Partey provided a perfectly serviceable outing at the base of midfield, reducing if not eliminating Brentford’s counter-attacking threat, but offering nowhere near the same energy or authority as his semi-fit teammate.
As Nwaneri managed, a 17-year-old couldn’t replicate all that Bukayo Saka brings to this Arsenal team – few could, let alone a schoolboy. While Arsenal’s left-footed, right-sided striker watched from afar as he recovered from knee surgeryBrentford’s star equivalent has certainly made his presence felt in west London.
Mbeumo bullied Calafiori as he slammed in the first goal and throughout the rest of the contest. Aside from his wealth of physical gifts, the Cameroon international preyed on the uncertainty of the Italian, who looked like a player starting for the first time since November. Hovering in a pocket of uncertainty between Calafiori and Gabriel, Mbeumo dragged the left-back inside the box, leaving space for Mads Roerslev to push unhindered down the right wing.
Arsenal’s hopes of snapping up Mbeum in January have been dashed Frank’s sincere message to any suitor sniffing around his player: “Good luck.”
The incredible speed with which Martin Odegaard returned to first-team action after a two-month layoff earlier this season looks even more impressive in retrospect. The Arsenal captain immediately picked up where he left off with his long-awaited return against Chelseacreating the opening goal of the match.
Odegaard set up Saka’s thunderous strike against Nottingham Forest in his first home game back from injury before scoring himself in the 5-2 defeat of West Ham a week later. However, that penalty at the London Stadium in November is Odegaard’s last direct goal in the Premier League.
Once again at Gtech on Wednesday, every shot seemed to be misjudged, the press was not as sharp and most passes were over the top – or, as was the case with Brentford’s first shot – directed at the wrong player.
Lava’s minutes after so much time on the sidelines is a simple explanation for this sluggishness – which is only apparent given the standard of his typically flawless performances. But with Saka still sidelined and plenty of key games looming, there aren’t many obvious opportunities for Odegaard to earn some much-needed rest.
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