Brentford did what Real Madrid could not, and Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal had plenty of work to do in a 1-1 draw Saturday at the Emirates Stadium.
That’s a bit of a tongue-in-cheek lede given Arsenal’s much-changed team from a beautiful midweek UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg 3-0 triumph over the competition’s most-celebrated team, but the point feels valid.
MORE — Arsenal 1-1 Brentford recap, video highlights
Arsenal started Kieran Tierney at left back, Thomas Partey at right back, Jorginho and Oleksandr Zinchenko in the midfield, and Leandro Trossard up top, leaving Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and others on the bench.
The Bees held Arsenal at bay for most of the game, and it was 0-0 at the hour mark when Thomas Partey put the Gunners ahead at home.
Arsenal then made four subs, and surprisingly that’s when Yoane Wissa delivered an equalizer for Brentford. Sadly, for Arsenal, that was that, and now Liverpool’s a bit closer to the Premier League crown while the Gunners are still focused on the Champions League.
Mikel Arteta reaction — How did Arsenal boss react to blown lead vs Brentford?
Disappointed? “Yes, because we lost two points. We conceded so little but against Brentford if you don’t defend set pieces and second chances, they are going to punish you.”
Had problem turning chances into goal: “They are really well-organized and they don’t give you a lot of space. We could’ve done better in many situations to finish more actions.”
Jorginho injury update: “He said he could not breathe properly, so I think initially it’s one of the ribs. Usually, Jorgy, if he can carry on, he can so I think it’s significant.”
Hurts to not put any more pressure on Liverpool: “For sure because we wanted to win and try to increase the probabilities that we had in the league. We have to be critical of ourselves because of the way we conceded a goal.”
