One nil down, a talismanic injury, an illness bug that is passing through the team and derailing the title fight for half an hour, “Arsenal” was feeling the cold in Brentford.
The usual questions swirled after Brian Mbemo put the Bees 1-0 up, with Arsenal going more than a quarter of the game without a shot on target and without a Premier League away win in nearly two years.
Are Arsenal good enough to keep up with Liverpool? Is Mbumo even that player in the January transfer window?
An hour and three goals later and Arsenal pushed back some of those questions, although they still lingered, particularly about whether Arteta’s side were short on numbers.
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FREE TO WATCH. Highlights from Brentford’s Premier League game against Arsenal
“When I see the willingness of the team to play through anything, the versatility that we can create inside to play with our own idea, the answer is no,” Arteta said.
“But we don’t know if something else happens, or we’ll have other problems. Hopefully, we’ll need everyone back.”
The reasons why Arteta has so much faith in this team were on display against Brentford, with his team looking balanced for the first time in a while.
Arsenal are typically weighted so heavily down the right that nearly 50 percent of their attacks come from the wing, where Bukayo Saka usually resides. between
Part of that has to do with the form of their two Brazilians, with Gabriel Jesus scoring six goals in his last four games, one more than he had in his previous 48 games.
Added to that, Ethan Nwaneri’s positive performance looked better than the right-handed option the Gunners had against Ipswich five days ago.
But it is Gabriel Martinelli’s form that has come out of nowhere, especially in the absence of Saka at the other end.
The Brazilian scored 15 goals in the 2022-23 Premier League season, but his barren streak has just ended. His four goals in three games are more than he managed in his previous 26 games. Has something clicked or is there something more to it? :
Gabriel Martinelli celebrates Arsenal’s third goal
Martinelli has a bit more stability at the back This was the first time Martinelli had started alongside Ricardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino on the Arsenal left. two players Arteta bought in the summer in an attempt to improve the squad.
Both Calafiori and Merino are fixed, natural left-backs, while Arsenal have tossed and turned between different players in those specific positions. Oleksandr Zinchenko and Myles Lewis-Skelley are inverted left-backs, while Jakub Kivor and Kieran Tierney struggle. for form and minutes.
Calafiori is a more natural option that Arteta really wanted and wanted, the same with Merino in midfield compared to Declan Rice and Jorginho Arteta on the Spanish midfielder.
Mikel Merino and Ricardo Calafiori are the difference on Arsenal’s left flank
Comparisons have rightly been drawn between the Spaniard and Granit Xhaka alongside midfielder Martinelli as he hit double figures for Arsenal’s top flight.
Behind those combinations, Martinelli looks like a completely different player.He created more chances than anyone else on the pitch against Brentford, and even more than every Arsenal opponent.
Where Merino also helps is his ability to win a duel and his spot-kicks, showing both in Arsenal’s second goal in west London; his second goal for the club, both coming from set pieces.
Arsenal’s efficiency from corners in particular isn’t all that surprising, as Arteta wasn’t asked about the episodes at all after the game.It was their 25th goal from a corner since the start of last season. no single player has accomplished so many.
“That’s the great quality of our team, to share goals,” added Arteta. “We did it again today, scoring in three different ways. That’s what we need.”
So if Arsenal maintain this balance and continue to spread the goals around the team, maybe they aren’t as short as they might seem.
A prolific new striker would certainly help the cause, but Arteta’s side showed before they could go on the post-birth run needed to win the title without January additions.
Watch Brighton v Arsenal live on Sky Sports Premier League this Saturday from 5.30pm
