- Arsenal fell behind to an early Bryan Mbeumo goal
- Gabriel Jesus equalised for the visitors
- Two quick-fire second-half goals sent Arsenal up to second place
- Arsenal take maximum points in trip across London
- Gunners forced to come from behind after conceding early
- Early second half goals made all the difference
By Talal osman
FROM THE GTECH COMMUNITY STADIUM - Arsenal came from behind away to Brentford to start 2025 with a 3-1 win on New Year's Day.
Bryan Mbeumo fired the hosts in front early on, but Arsenal eased back into the ascendancy, levelling through Gabriel Jesus before half-time. A quick-fire pair of strikes from Mikel Merino and Gabriel Martinelli ultimately sealed all three points for the Gunners against a team with the joint-best home record in the division.
The result took Arsenal above surprise package Nottingham Forest into second place, while Brentford sit in a tightly-paced mid-table
How the game unfolded
After a largely cagey opening ten minutes that had the air of a New Year's Day hangover clumsily draped over it, Mbeumo fired the hosts in front with their first shot of the match.
Mikkel Damsgaard gobbled up a stray pass from Martin Odegaard on halfway, setting Brentford's talisman haring directly at Riccardo Calafiori. The Italian skittishly back-pedalled, affording Mbeumo room to cut onto his stronger left foot and drag a crisp shot beyond his ex-teammate, David Raya.
The former Bees goalkeeper almost did his old team another favour when he let Keane Lewis-Potter's shot squirm through his gloves shortly before the half-hour mark. Raya spared his own blushes, hurriedly clawing the wet ball off his goal-line. There wasn't another break in play before that same wet orb found itself Mark Flekken's net.
Thomas Partey took aim from the edge of the box, forcing a save which Flekken parried into the path of a grateful Jesus, who scooped a header over the Dutchman.
Mikkel Damsgaard gobbled up a stray pass from Martin Odegaard on halfway, setting Brentford's talisman haring directly at Riccardo Calafiori. The Italian skittishly back-pedalled, affording Mbeumo room to cut onto his stronger left foot and drag a crisp shot beyond his ex-teammate, David Raya.
The former Bees goalkeeper almost did his old team another favour when he let Keane Lewis-Potter's shot squirm through his gloves shortly before the half-hour mark. Raya spared his own blushes, hurriedly clawing the wet ball off his goal-line. There wasn't another break in play before that same wet orb found itself Mark Flekken's net.
Thomas Partey took aim from the edge of the box, forcing a save which Flekken parried into the path of a grateful Jesus, who scooped a header over the Dutchman.
Set piece again, ole, ole," was the chant which rang out from the boisterous Arsenal away contingent five minutes after the restart. Merino provided the final touch, but it was a collective effort from the jostling throng of turquoise shirts which left Flekken dazed and disorientated.
The Gunners soon stamped home their advantage from open play. The 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri swung a devilish cross from the right wing which Brentford failed to clear, allowing the ball to drop at the feet of Martinelli who blasted Arsenal into a 3-1 lead on 53 minutes.
Neither side overexerted themselves across the final 40 minutes, as Arsenal consigned their fading hosts to a second consecutive home defeat and kept a faint whisper of pressure on league-leading Liverpool.
