Arsenal rise to second place after Gabriel Martinelli completes victory at Brentford | first division

Mikel Arteta wanted to warn Liverpool that Arsenal can pressure them until the end to first division title and this was evidence that they were serious. Facing a Brentford team that boasted the division's best home record and was trailing an early Bryan Mbeumo goal, Arsenal hit back with goals from Gabriel Jesus (his sixth in his last four games), Mikel Merino and Gabriel Martinelli to make sure they got closer to six points. on the side of Arne Slot.

It was far from a classic performance. Arsenal and once again they needed a corner goal (the ninth of the season) to settle the contest. But having gone 12 games in all competitions without losing and with 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri making another big impression on his first Premier League start, Arteta will feel his momentum slowly building even in the absence of his talisman Bukayo Saka. .

Both teams had to wait until the new year to complete the first half of their campaigns, with Liverpool nine points clear thanks to their 5-0 win from West Ham. So the onus was on Arsenal to keep the pressure on the leaders in the first of nine games they will play this month in all competitions. Perhaps it was with Saturday's trip to Brighton in mind that Arteta made four changes to the team heIpswich narrowly defeated on his last outing. That included an opportunity for Nwaneri to fill Saka's big boots on the right, with Martinelli returning to his usual left flank. Kai Havertz was not even part of the match day squad due to an on-field illness which forced the German striker to isolate himself from the rest of the team and Declan Rice had to settle for a place on the bench.

Brentford lost their unbeaten home record last time against Nottingham Forest but after picking up just a second away point of the season, in BrightonThomas Frank clearly fancied his chances of achieving an eighth win out of 10 here. But despite taking an early lead, an inexperienced defense could not hold up under concerted pressure from the visitors.

Brentford had already scored 26 goals at home, more than any other team, and they realized their danger early when Mbeumo beat William Saliba with a touch, but David Raya was able to smother Keane Lewis-Potter's cross.

The Arsenal goalkeeper excelled during his five seasons at Brentford, but on his first return to west London he will know he could have done more to prevent them taking the lead after Martin Ødegaard's pass was intercepted by Mikkel Damsgaard. The Danish midfielder's through ball for Mbeumo was brilliant, although Riccardo Calafiori allowed him to enter the area unopposed before tricking Raya with a clever shot at the near post. The visitors then needed Calafiori to clear another dangerous cross as Brentford looked much more adept in attack.

Fortunately for Arsenal, a Jesus equalizer got them back into the game, but only after a heart-in-mouth moment for Raya when she squandered Lewis-Potter's shot and managed to clear the ball off her line. Jesus pounced on Mark Flekken saved from Thomas Partey's drive as Brentford had repeatedly failed to clear their lines, with Arteta gathering his players into a huddle on the touchline as VAR checked for a possible handball that was not given.

Nwaneri has excelled in Arsenal's Carabao Cup run this season but, having become the youngest player in Premier League history here in September 2022 at the age of 15 years and 181 days, his first start has A long time coming after 10 substitute appearances this season. .

He was largely quiet during the first half, but a sign of how well-regarded he is is that when Arsenal won a corner on the right early in the second half, it was the teenager who stepped forward to take it. Nicolas Jover, who was Brentford's set-piece coach for three years before joining Arteta at Manchester City, watched as Flekken lost the ball from a Nwaneri corner and Merino fired in from close range after Nwaneri's initial shot. Jesus was blocked on the line. “Olé set piece again, olé,” the Arsenal fans sang delightedly.

Their mood only improved three minutes later when Nathan Collins headed a Nwaneri cross straight at Martinelli and made no mistake to give Arsenal some valuable breathing room. Frank introduced four substitutes at the same time in an attempt to find a way back into the game, but they could not muster the energy of the first half and Arsenal were able to absorb everything that was thrown at them.

Nwaneri left the field to a standing ovation from the visiting team when he was replaced late on and enjoyed a warm hug with Arteta. With him and fellow academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly also making their way into the manager's plans this season, the future looks bright for Arsenal as they look to make it a year to remember.