Arsenal`s hopes of winning the Premier League title are fading after they dropped points against Brentford.
Mikel Arteta changed five players from the team that impressively beat Real Madrid 3-0 on Tuesday for their return to Premier League action.
Apart from a great performance from Thomas Partey, it seemed like Arsenal`s team was also focused on the upcoming Champions League quarter-final second leg on Wednesday.
The game started slowly, like a pre-season friendly, with Arsenal playing cautiously to avoid injuries before their important trip to the Bernabeu.
Despite Brentford fans chanting “You`ll win nothing,” the Brentford players also began sluggishly in their pursuit of European qualification.
Arsenal initially thought they were leading when Kieran Tierney scored a header in the 26th minute, but it was disallowed by VAR due to the semi-automated offside rule.
Shortly after, Brentford captain Christian Norgaard avoided a red card for a strong tackle on Gabriel Martinelli.
Partey eventually broke the deadlock after a fast counter-attack led by Declan Rice, before Arteta brought in substitutes.
However, the substitutions seemed to disrupt Arsenal`s rhythm, and Brentford quickly equalised with an impressive acrobatic goal from Yoane Wissa.
With only two wins in their last seven league matches, Arsenal are now 10 points behind Liverpool, who only need three more wins to clinch the title.
Here are SunSport`s player ratings for Arsenal at the Emirates stadium…
David Raya – 7
Raya was not as assured as he was against Madrid, which is understandable.
He made some risky passes early on.
However, he made an excellent save to stop Kristoffer Ajer from scoring within the first 20 minutes, after a good pass from Bryan Mbeumo.
His distribution was excellent, proactively catching a difficult Brentford corner and quickly passing to Rice for the attack that led to Arsenal`s goal. Great vision.
Kieran Tierney – 6
Tierney seemed delighted with the fans` applause and teammates` hugs after his headed goal in the 26th minute.
Unfortunately, VAR disallowed the goal due to offside, possibly denying the Scot his last goal for the club with a summer move to Celtic likely.
He made a crucial recovery to take the ball away from Mbeumo, preventing a shot on goal.
Jakub Kiwior – 6
Kiwior continues to grow in confidence each game, showing his adaptability and seizing his opportunity.
He brings a calmness that wasn`t present when he initially joined the team.
William Saliba – 8
Saliba energized the fans with a strong 20-yard run, winning Arsenal a corner early in the game.
He wasn`t heavily tested defensively in the first half.
He effectively handled Kevin Schade`s pace and won their physical battles later in the match.
Excellent with the ball, consistently bringing it out from defense and rarely making errors.
Thomas Partey – 8
Should Partey, 31, receive a contract extension when his current deal expires in the summer?
After being crucial on Tuesday, he played at right-back in Arteta`s rotation, preparing for the Madrid game on Wednesday.
He moved into midfield, effectively neutralising any threat from Brentford on their right side.
Just as Arteta was about to substitute Saka and Odegaard, Partey scored his fourth Premier League goal of the season.
However, things took a turn as Partey might be injured for the Madrid game after picking up an unspecified knock.
