The year 2024 did not bring a Premier League title for Arsenal but they were the best team in the country during that calendar year. The data doesn’t lie.
So what will 2025 bring? Prosperity; Calm; Drama; First Premier League title in 20 years? Yes, it really has been that long now.
He won’t bring in Bukayo Saka for a few more months due to his hamstring problem, but no Saka is no problem for Arsenal, who have a 100% record since the Hale End talent was ruled out.
While they only secured a 1-0 win over Ipswich at home to see out 2024, they started the new year in good fashion by securing a 3-1 victory. However, it was not without fear.
Despite Brentford barely having a kick in the opening 13 minutes of the clash, it was the Bees who took the lead through the effervescent Brian Beaumo.
Arsenal have now not kept a league clean sheet on the road in eight attempts but have rallied to close the gap between themselves and Liverpool at the top of the table to six points.
Gabriel Jesus hit back in the first half before Mikel Merino’s second-half strike and Gabriel Martinelli secured the points.
Arsenal’s best players against Brentford
With Kai Havertz missing through illness on Wednesday afternoon, he produced an interesting Arsenal line-up selected by the boss Mikel Arteta.
Jesus again starred on the line, slotting home from close range to score his sixth goal in his last four games in all competitions.
That said, it wasn’t the goalscorers who caught the most attention in west London. It was a certain Ethan Nwaneri who was handed his first Premier League start at the ground where it all began for him as a 15-year-old.
Gtech was where he became the youngest Premier League player of all time and once again starred at the same ground.
Usually used as an attacking midfielder by Arteta, it was on the right side of the attack where Nwaneri shone on this occasion.
He immediately looked at home and already looks like the closest thing Arsenal have to Saka while he remains out.
|
Nwaneri vs Brentford |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
78 |
|
touches |
40 |
|
Accurate passes |
22/24 (92%) |
|
Basic passes |
2 |
|
Shots |
1 |
|
Successful dribbles |
2/3 |
|
Accurate crosses |
2/7 |
|
Wiretapping |
1 |
|
Duels won |
2/6 |
|
Statistics via Sofascore. |
|
Naturally left-footed, Nwaneri drifted inside and used his quick feet to dazzle the Brentford defense on numerous occasions. There was no goal contribution for his efforts but as Football.Tom Canton of London he said in his player ratings after the match, that he was “such a bright spark in the side”.
Arteta has sometimes been accused of not trusting the stars of tomorrow, but in Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, he has shown great faith.
Blackboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series features tactical discussion from around the world game.
Speaking of which, both should start after a player appears for the away team tonight…
Riccardo Calafiori’s performance in numbers
Lewis-Skelly’s emergence at left-back in recent weeks has been very impressive. An 18-year-old, he played in a Jurrien Timber-like manner, can rotate in midfield, contribute in the final third and add security in possession. This fact itself average success completion rate of 97%. in the league this term is proof of that.
Well, surely it must begin, right? Well, after his performance Riccardo Calafiori on wednesday you can definitely make that case.
The Italian has caught the eye in bursts since signing from Bologna in the summer, notably scoring that brilliant goal against Manchester City a few months ago.
However, he has a moment of insecurity in him and was arguably at fault for Mbeumo’s first goal.
Everyone knows what the winger wants to do – cut inside his left leg – and Calafiori duly let him do it. Very easy too. In the words of an Arsenal content creator, it was a “poor” moment and duly earned him a 5/10 player rating from the aforementioned Canton, who noted that “a few poor passes showed he was indeed a player coming off an injury”.
So it’s hard to judge too harshly, but the fact that he gave away possession 13 times, the most of any Arsenal player apart from Jesus, was hardly a positive. It was no surprise, therefore, to see him finish the game with a pass accuracy of 77%, which is a far cry from Lewis-Skelly’s average this season.
|
Calafiori vs Brentford |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
76 |
|
touches |
53 |
|
Accurate passes |
30/39 (77%) |
|
Clearances |
2 |
|
Wiretapping |
0 |
|
Tackling |
3 |
|
Basic passes |
1 |
|
Successful dribbles |
0/1 |
|
Shots |
1 |
|
Ground duels won |
3/7 |
|
Aerial duels won |
6/7 |
|
Statistics via Sofascore. |
|
Calafiori will no doubt improve the longer he settles into this Arsenal squad, but right now he is overshadowed by a raw teenage prospect.
His time will come, but for now, Arteta must hand over left-back to Lewis-Skelly on a regular basis.
