Arsenal Earn Point in 1‑1 Draw Against Brentford, Keep Four‑Point Lead

Arsenal's lead at the top of the Premier League stands at just four points after they were held to a 1-1 draw by high-flying Brentford.

Manchester City's 3-0 win over Fulham on Wednesday ensured the pressure was on Arsenal for their trip to the Gtech Community Stadium.

And Mikel Arteta's side looked as though they would respond to that when Noni Madueke headed in from their first attempt on target just after the hour-mark.

But from a Brentford long throw, Keane Lewis-Potter scored a header of his own at the other end 10 minutes later, and the visitors, way below their best, could not find another in what was a thrilling conclusion to the contest.

While Arsenal are left looking over their shoulders, Brentford stay seventh, but are within two points of sixth-place Liverpool, in their surprise pursuit of a European spot.

How the match unfolded

Gabriel Magalhaes saw a headed chance blocked early on from what proved to be Arsenal's only real sight of goal in the first half.

Instead, it was Brentford who went closest to scoring before the break, with David Raya producing a fine reflex save down to his left to keep out Igor Thiago's downward header from close range.

Arteta brought on Martin Odegaard for Eberechi Eze at half-time, and Arsenal instantly looked more effective, with their breakthrough coming 61 minutes in. Michael Kayode could not fully clear the danger, and Piero Hincapie's cross was met by Madueke, who sent a looping header past a wrong-footed Caoimhin Kelleher.

Brentford did not have to wait long for their leveller, though, as Sepp van den Berg flicked on Kayode's long throw and Lewis-Potter got on the end of it to head past Raya.

Both teams had chances to win the game late on as Thiago was denied by a superb Cristhian Mosquera block before firing over the bar, while Kelleher denied Gabriel Martinelli at the death.

Arteta's attackers misfire

At the full-time whistle of their last game, Arsenal held a nine-point lead at the Premier League summit, but that had been cut down to three by kick-off, with Arteta knowing how valuable a victory would be in their title charge.

However, Arsenal had just two shots on target all game and did not really look like scoring another after Madueke's opener, despite chasing a goal, until substitute Martinelli's late chance was smothered by Kelleher.

Arteta made his thoughts clear at the break by withdrawing the ineffective Eze, but he was not alone in misfiring.

Viktor Gyokeres, who scored a brace last time out against Sunderland, did not register a shot, while Leandro Trossard, the other member of the front three that started, was another who produced an off-day just when Arteta needed his team to step up.

Having now played the same number of games as Man City, the gap is narrower than Arsenal would have liked, especially as the sides still have to meet at the Etihad Stadium in April

The Gunners will now turn focus to an FA Cup fourth-round tie with Wigan Athletic on Sunday, but next Wednesday's trip to bottom-side Wolverhampton Wanderers will already be at the front of Arteta's mind as the title race heats up.

Brentford long-throw causes chaos

Like opponents Arsenal, Brentford had themselves won back-to-back matches coming into this game and had lost just one of their previous eight home league games, albeit in their most recent outing on home soil.

Thiago, in particular, has been superb under Keith Andrews, and the striker would have been licking his lips at the sight of William Saliba not being in Arsenal's starting line-up due to illness.

Had it not been for Raya's sublime stop and some fine defending from Mosquera later on, Thiago would have netted a 10th goal in 11 Premier League home games.

Andrews will take delight in the way Brentford restricted Arsenal to so few chances, as he will from the fact that his side scored from yet another long-throw, with those proving such a strong weapon for the Bees this term.

Arsenal have been the set-piece masters this campaign and have taken great pride in their ability to rack up clean sheets, but they had no answer to Lewis-Potter's quick reactions after Kayode's throw was helped on in the box for what was a deserved point.

Their European push is put on hold for the time being, though, with an FA Cup tie against Macclesfield, who knocked out Crystal Palace in the last round, up next.