3-1! In the last 4 games, 6 goals, don't forget the center forward Jesus! 3 consecutive victories, Arsenal is closing in on Liverpool
At 1:30 am Beijing time on January 2nd, the last match of the 19th round of the 2024-25 Premier League season: Brentford vs Arsenal.
Before the game, Arsenal ranked third in the Premier League table with 10 wins, 6 draws, and 2 losses in 18 matches, accumulating 36 points. They were 9 points behind the league leaders Liverpool, 1 point behind second-placed Nottingham Forest with one less match played, 1 point ahead of fourth-placed Chelsea, 4 points ahead of fifth-placed Newcastle, and 5 points ahead of sixth-placed reigning champions Manchester City.
Considering Liverpool's current stability, it seems that Arsenal's difficulty in winning the championship is greater than in the previous two seasons.
Given the fierce competition, Arsenal could even lose their Champions League qualification.
Brentford, with 7 wins, 3 draws, and 8 losses in 18 matches, accumulated 24 points to rank 12th, 1 point ahead of 13th-placed West Ham United, and 2 points ahead of 14th-placed Manchester United. For a small club like Brentford, this result is quite good.
In this match, Arsenal started with a 433 formation, with Jesus, Martinelli, and Nwaneri forming the front trident, midfielders Merino, Thomas, and Odegaard, and the back four consisting of Calafiori, Gabriel, Saliba, and Timber, with goalkeeper Raya. The total value of the starting eleven was 580 million euros.
Brentford started with a 4312 formation, with Wissa and Mbeumo as the front pair, attacking midfielder Damsgaard, midfielders Yarmolchuk, Norgaard, and Janelt, and the back four consisting of Lewis Porter, Hjelde, Collins, and Rasmussen, with goalkeeper Fleck. The total value of the starting eleven was 230 million euros.
In the 13th minute, Odegaard's midfield pass was intercepted, and Damsgaard took the ball to launch a counterattack, directly passing it to the left, where Mbeumo cut inside and scored, putting Arsenal behind Brentford 0:1.
In the 28th minute, Brentford launched an attack with a long pass from the back, and Wissa cut inside from the left side of the penalty area and shot, which Raya initially saved but failed to clear the danger. He dived to save the ball again but still gave it away to the opponent. However, Brentford had already lost the opportunity in this wave of attacks.
In the 29th minute, Arsenal fought hard to create opportunities in the frontcourt, and Thomas shot from outside the penalty area, with Brentford's goalkeeper dropping the ball. Jesus headed in the rebound, scoring! Arsenal equalized the score at 1:1.
In the 44th minute, during a scramble, Jesus not only failed to get the ball but was also hit in the face by Damsgaard and fell to the ground.
In the 50th minute, Arsenal's right corner kick was taken by Nwaneri into the penalty area, and in the ensuing melee, Merino scored. Arsenal overtook Brentford 2:1.
In the 53rd minute, Nwaneri's diagonal pass from the right was cleared, and Martinelli volleyed after getting the ball, securing the victory for Arsenal with a 3:1 lead over Brentford.
A red start to the new year! After this match, Arsenal climbed to second place with 39 points from 19 matches, trailing the league leaders Liverpool by 6 points with one less match played.
Tough battles lie ahead! Next, Arsenal will face Brighton, Newcastle, Manchester United, Tottenham, and Villa consecutively, playing a total of 9 matches in various events in January.