Arsenal’s grip on the English Premier League lead is out of the blue wanting shaky.
The Gunners have been held by Brentford to 1-1 at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, dropping factors for the second recreation in a row and giving Manchester City renewed hope of overtaking them atop the desk.
The outcome means City can minimize Arsenal’s result in three factors with a house win over Aston Villa on Sunday. With Arsenal then internet hosting City on Wednesday, Pep Guardiola’s crew would go high on purpose distinction if it wins each matches — though the Gunners have performed one recreation much less.
Leandro Trossard’s first Arsenal purpose gave the host the lead within the 66th minute when he steered in a cross from Bukayo Saka. But Ivan Toney equalized with a close-range header eight minutes later after the Gunners didn’t clear a free kick.
Coming off a 1-0 loss at Everton final weekend, Arsenal regarded flat once more for a lot of the sport and was even lucky to not be behind on the break as Brentford wasted two nice probabilities.
Toney’s cross from the proper evaded Arsenal defenders to provide Rico Henry a possibility to attain into an open web, however the full again couldn’t make clear contact with the ball and it sailed broad.
Toney then almost scored within the twenty fifth after Bryan Mbeumo teed him up inside the world, however the striker’s shot hit the nook of the purpose body.
With Arsenal’s assault sputtering, Trossard got here off the bench to offer a much-needed spark. The former Brighton ahead, who joined Arsenal within the January switch window, was available on the far publish to fit the ball into an empty web after being picked out by Saka. But the lead didn’t final lengthy.
After Arsenal couldn’t clear an in swinging free kick into the world, Brentford stored the ball alive with three straight headers earlier than Christian Norgaard squared the ball throughout the goalmouth, the place Toney had a simple header into an empty web. The Brentford celebrations have been placed on maintain for a prolonged VAR test for a doable offside earlier than the purpose was allowed to face.
Oleksandr Zinchenko shot narrowly broad within the eightieth as Arsenal regarded for an instantaneous response however the hosts by no means got here nearer to a winner.
