Arsenal fell behind to a Brian Mbeumo goal at Brentford this evening, before a first half equaliser from Gabriel Jesus and second half strikes from Mikel Merino and Gabriel Martinelli ensured we took all three points back to North London
Once we got in front, we never looked like we were under much pressure, and it was a fine way to start 2025. Happy New Year folks!
Here’s how the players rated this evening.
Read the Brentford 1-3 Arsenal match report and see the goals here
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Good night
Yep, sleep well mate x
A scoring Gabriel Jesus, a scoring Gabriel Martinelli. Butterfly effect?
The Brentford players were shorn of belief after Merino’s goal.
I’m sorry, Mayor, but your comment about the picture of Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus raised my standards. I was expecting much more from you here.
In the spirit of our opponents today, I appreciate your Frank response.
It should also be noted that Merino did knit the midfield together pretty well.
Personally, I was doubting Thomas for this season but my faith is restored. Thank you, Jesus.
And I loved how the entire Arsenal team flocked to congratulate him!
0/10 brentford fans- they boo the sick!
Sadly Blogs is correct above… they are the new Stoke.
Love the bonus score!
Made me picture Ben Stiller putting on Ryan Shawcross’ retarded face.
That’s just Shawcross’ usual face.
That was my point
Brentford = Stoke City (under Pulis) 2.1
Their fans maybe, but their manager is actually pretty honest and forthright when assessing the match to the press, regardless of outcome, not a snide little baby like tony pulis.
He also doesn’t coach his players as thuggish, clod-hopping Neanderthals.
Nothing like Pubis at all really.
I’m giving TP5 and Cala more love than that but all fair enough tremendous result at a proper tough place. They have pool in few weeks too so it will be tough journey for mugsmashers
Same on both for me. I’m with the commentator who felt that Gabriel should have rotated to provide help on the goal, because without it Raya had to cheat off the near post a bit. Ah well, no matter now!
Great win.
But we need to add bodies to our attack.. alot of games coming on. We have a real chance for something special this season.. won’t even be bad to push summer signings forward now .
Merino is not the guy they hyped him to be.. media hype is rubbish.. he’s nothing like xhaka technically or passing wise. Too conservative. Although I don’t question his workrate.. but he’s not the guy we need for the lhs . Still need to visit the market.
Lastly pls sign attackers..
Whilst I’m not entirely sure what Merino offers, I think writing him off right now is a bit harsh. The team hasn’t clicked a lot of the season. I’m sure if the entire team was fully fit and guns blazing, we’d understand what his role was supposed to be.
I really like him – wins most challenges, is clever with his passing and – crucially – looks a goal threat….more so than Rice, Jorg or Partey. Crashes the box better than any of them.
I don’t mind him/not like him. If he can add some goals from that left 8, I’m happy. He’s solid, if unspectacular- which isn’t a problem, in my book.
Can you imagine Eze in our team playing left 8 next season…that would be incredible. That’s the type of player we need in that position. Merino will never give us that type of creative flair AND physical presence that eze brings to palace.
A goal? And just when we really needed one…
Yeah, that brentford number 19 really would be a useful addition… if only someone had been saying we should sign him for like 3 years now
Agree with most of the ratings but had TP5 as an 8 as he was great. I gave Merino an extra half mark for his goal and another half for his lovely smile. Think there’s more to come from him. Ethan = absolute baller.
Feel like we haven’t hit top gear at all this season but we’re second and still in all the cups……obviously doing something right. Ethan and MLS feel like quality mid season signings . Def need a spark signing in Jan to win anything IMHO but all good lads…..HNY 🥳
Gr8 performance indeed.
Full Stoke achieved when they tried a long throw towards the end
Excellent, professional performance to come back from a goal down in a noisy, tightly packed stadium. The two early second half goals killed the game. Our three right backs (White, Tomiyasu, Timber) are all unavailable for Brighton on Saturday. That 35 second throw-in has come back to bite us. Looks like Partey will have to play there against Mitoma. But we keep grinding out wins in adverse circumstances.
Wouldn’t be unrealistic to play Cala at Rb , mitoma will turn inside at every point and that’s onto cala strong tackle leg. He’s gorgeous enough pace and power to stay with Mitoma so I’d go Cala Rb, MLS LB and leave TP5 where he’s being playing superb
Fuck off predictive text saying gorgeous I wrote good enough….
He’s also gorgeous enough so the typo doesn’t matter
Lmao 🤣
He’s both good enough and gorgeous. I think I speak for everyone when I say “duck off predictive text” Had me sending a New Year message to my friend and her “sin” (son born out of wedlock). Oh dear 🙁
MLS is right footed so no reason why he couldn’t do well at RB. Would much prefer to have Partey in the middle
No, he’s left-footed
If you’re comparing Ødegaard to his top form, then clearly he is not fully there. But if you didn’t know it was Ødegaard and you were just judging that player’s performance in this match–he made one bad pass that led to their goal, but otherwise he and Thomas completely controlled the game. He created threat after threat, he orchestrated our positioning and pressing. I bet Thomas Frank would say he was our best player today,
Agreed. And his pass, poor as it was, gave them possession in a not very threatening position. Calafiori did poorly and then Raya did very, very poorly indeed. Odegaard is not himself but even off the boil he’s bloody good.
I feel like Odegaard is judged a bit too much by end product and contributions on the ball, and don’t get me wrong it’s important for a player in his position, but that’s only about half of what he does for us. There’s a reason why we had such awful attacking performances when he was injured and I don’t think we’re likely to see the same happen now that Saka’s out, even if Martin himself isn’t scoring or assisting, because even when he doesn’t defences absolutely fear him, meaning he commands what (at least in basketball) is termed “gravity” meaning… Read more »
I agree with most of your points but his end product is definitely lacking, we need more from an attacking midfielder in this team. 1 goal and 2 assists in 12 league games played (8/10 last season!). He rarely shoots lately and when he does it flies over the goal. Obviously he’s still critical to the team for the reasons you outlined but it would be great if his end product picked up.
He’s playing deeper. He’s also just had a 10 weeks out. I don’t expect him to be fully periodised until Feb.
He’s also just become a dad….
I completely agree, it’s lacking and can and I think will improve. But to judge him only based on that does him a massive disservice, I’d much rather have an Odegaard who isn’t scoring in my team than a Frank Lampard type who scores but doesn’t do much else (apologies for the ancient example, don’t watch other teams enough to think of a current one, if at all that type of midfielder even exists anymore). As long as other players are scoring around him – some of which weren’t scoring while he was injured – we only need so many… Read more »
I am sorry but if Ode requires Saka to play well then that’s a weakness. Saka became the most creative player in the league without him at the start of the season. Good players adapt and if Odegaard really is as good as everyone gives him credit for, he will adapt too.
In military term
Odegard is our only current solution to A2/AD low block profile.
His ability to operate in contested spaces allow our team to set up high up in the attacking third.
Without him we will only sit a bit above the halfway line hoping for corners, wing play and cutbacks.
Even at him currently 60% .
He will stroll into any team in the league and will be a coup.
What you seem to think I was saying is literally the opposite from what I was saying.
Martin Odegaard: next great Arsenal skipper… future Arsenal legend.
End of.
Partey was peerless. Always have to add +1 to blogs rating for TP.
He did great. Sadly will be deployed elsewhere on Saturday due to Timber’s card.
Yeah I was really impressed by him today, a lot of activity in and around the Brentford box too
One point less than we had at this stage of the season last year. We can win this thing.
Wow, wouldn’t have guessed that. Interesting.
Great win.
Partey immense.
Hope The Boss finds another solution for right back at the weekend, he needs to stick with that midfield on Saturday (I’d play Rice at RB personally).
I thought the card slate was wiped clean at the midway point of the season (this game). If so, why would Timber miss the next game?
The midway point is after this game as this was our 19th game.
Wiped after 19 games, if you get less than 5 bookings. He got 5 bookings during the 19 games and so misses a game.
Because you can’t go into game 1 with previous bookings, so I think they discount it or something.
Partey was outstanding tonight and deserved a higher rating, but Blogs I feel is generally a little harsh on him. Brentford away is a difficult game and the DM position is vital. TP5 snuffed out everything and passed with aplomb.
Was just listening to a post-game twitter space commentary on the match. One listener cited a stat – not sure if it is accurate but amazing if it is – said Gabriel Jesus has now scored in 62 Premier League matches in his career – his side (between Man City and Arsenal) are 57 wins and 5 draws in those 62 contests. That is mental if true!
Brazilian press allways repeats that Jesus never lost a PL game where he scored
Well then, lets just pray that he plays and scores in every game for the rest of the season.
Why not the rest of his Arsenal career?
Would like another shot at an ‘Invincibles’ season 😊
https://www.instagram.com/cbssportsgolazo/p/DETCAVfRpov/
Great performance from the team. Loved seeing Ethan glide around the pitch today.
Brentford are just a West London Stoke. Wankers all.
Stoke gave us a harder time. I like Brentford better. To have Raya beat them rubs it in that they’re a selling club and we’re the big club. Why were they booing Partey early on?
London derbies have been very good to us of late.
Last 11 games won 9 drawn 2
Timber. What a machine. Man is a dog. Plays week in, week out. Shows his quality. Proper defender. Durable. Wins his duels. No nonsense. Runs. Dribbles. Good engine. I’m actually glad he gets a breather at Brighton. He needs that rest … it’ll be a busy Jan and we need him available and at his best.
HNY everyone.
Lovely game. Had my heart in my mouth when they scored first.
I like the mayhem we created in their penalty box. Partey was the stand out today.
I am not convinced about the eyebrow/moustache ratio on Jesus’ caricature. Great game though!
@arseblog with regard to your comment about Timber missing the next match I recollect hearing that from January 1 the yellow card threshold for match suspension will 10 games and not 5 anymore.
If we look at Brighton in their last 4 games alone I can see no reason to play TP at RB. I have never seen the reasoning for playing him there in the first place. Our format never changes in these games, why not try something different now that Jesus has arrived. I dont expect everyone to know what I mean so I will put it simple, what about a 4, 5, 1 giving Jesus the full freedom of the space or a 3, 5, 2 giving Jesus the full freedom of the space while allowing Odegaard space to feed… Read more »