Premier League leaders Arsenal play a third consecutive London derby in the league when they welcome 10th-placed Brentford to the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Mikel Arteta’s side will be aiming to return to winning ways after a 1-1 draw against 10-man Chelsea over the weekend, while Keith Andrews will be keen to continue Brentford’s momentum after a 3-1 win at home last weekend against Burnley.
Following a rather infamous 0-2 loss on the opening day of the 2021-22 season, Arsenal are unbeaten in the eight games against Brentford in all competitions since (6-2-0 W-D-L). However, Arsenal did drop points the last time they hosted Brentford, Yoane Wissa’s goal cancelling out Thomas Partey’s second-half opener in a 1-1 draw in April.
Here are five talking points before Wednesday’s game:
Igor Thiago against Arsenal’s back-up defenders
Even the most ardent Brentford supporter would not have predicted Igor Thiago to be the Premier League’s second-highest goalscorer come December, but here we are.
Five of the 24-year-old Brazilian’s 11 PL goals this season have come from the spot, but nonetheless he’s proved to be a handful for most defences. Three of Thiago’s four away goals have given Brentford the lead, and he could pose problems for Arsenal in front of a demanding Emirates crowd.
With William Saliba ruled out for this game alongside the injured Gabriel Magalhães, Mikel Arteta will be forced to use Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié once again. The pair looked as rusty as a first-time partnership would look against Chelsea last weekend, with some nervy moments and picking up yellow cards. Thiago’s robustness could prove a problem – he’s made the most tackles of any forward this season (16) and tends to win most of his duels as well. Look out, Arsenal.
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P.S.- Thiago is four goals away from equalling the record of most-goals by a Brazilian in a single PL season (Roberto Firmino, Gabriel Martinelli and Matheus Cunha with 15).
The set-piece battle
Any talk of Arsenal and set-pieces this season has been from an offensive standpoint, as they lead the league with 10 goals scored from set-pieces. However, Arteta’s side have also let in four of the seven goals they’ve conceded this season from set-piece situations (57%).
Chelsea took advantage of the absence of Saliba and Gabriel last weekend, as Trevoh Chalobah glanced a header in from the near post to the opposite corner. Mosquera and Hincapié aren’t as proficient in the air, and this could prove an avenue for Andrews to exploit.
Arsenal have a 24-hour rest deficit than their opponents and following a bruising encounter at Stamford Bridge, they may not be at their physical best.
However, Brentford have only scored two goals from set-pieces (excluding penalties) this season, with most of their 21 goals coming via open-play. Given that current boss Keith Andrews was initially hired as a set-piece coach however, Brentford might have an ace up their sleeve.
Will Mikel Arteta rotate?
Arsenal came away from a testing week facing Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich and Chelsea with seven points, but it looked to have taken a toll both physically and mentally.
Arsenal have one of the strongest squads in Europe, but despite games coming thick and fast, most of Arteta’s rotations have been enforced. With a trip to Aston Villa in the coming weekend, a fixture against Brentford at home looks the most ideal for rotation. The likes of Ben White and Myles Lewis-Skelly have found minutes hard to come by this season, while Christian Nørgaard might be in line to face his former side.
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Up front, Arteta faces a bit of a dilemma — Martin Ødegaard suits Viktor Gyökeres on paper, but Eberechi Eze has thrived in the #10 role in recent games with Mikel Merino’s penchant for dropping deep and clever runs allowing him more space for shooting positions on the edge of the box. With Martinelli proving less than stellar as a starter and playing better as a ‘finisher’, though, there might be room for Arteta to accommodate both Eze and Ødegaard in the same lineup.
Leandro Trossard could be a big miss for Arsenal
In most pre-season lineups showcasing Arsenal’s depth, Leandro Trossard was often relegated to a second or even third-choice role. His pay-rise in the summer was greeted by some on social media with derision, with a section of the fanbase appeared quite happy to let him get sold.
However, despite the £170 million ($225m) Arsenal spent in strengthening their attack this summer, the Belgian leads the Arsenal squad in goal contributions (10). In a season where Arsenal have been reliant on their set-piece goals, Trossard’s strikes from open play have proved even more valuable.
He was certainly missed against Chelsea, and with Arteta confirming it’s still ‘a matter of days’ for his return, his absence will be felt against Brentford.
Arsenal’s attackers have had injury-hit seasons and coupled with their set-piece big-hitters being injured, it could mean the goals might dry up on Wednesday night for Arteta’s side.
Will Andrews go five-at-the-back?
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Brentford have employed a five-man defence in a couple of their games early in the season, grabbing a 2-2 draw against Chelsea and limiting Manchester City to 0.85xG in a 0-1 loss. Against the giants of the Premier League, Andrews has opted for a five-man defence, but it’s his four-man backline that has brought the results.
Michael Kayode (RB), Nathan Collins and Sepp van den Berg (CB) have been ever-present in Brentford’s recent wins, with Kristoffer Ajer and Aaron Hickey rotating at left-back. Ajer’s experience at centre-back allows for Andrews to keep it relatively fluid if needed, as Kevin Schade can operate as a wing-back if Ajer tucks into central defence.
Yet, with Arsenal not at their fluent best as players make their way back from injury, coupled with Thiago’s scoring form, Andrews might be best served by opting to remain with what has worked. Arsenal have breached every low block they’ve faced this season, and Brentford might find it more rewarding to roll the dice and set out to attack.
