Arsenal resume their Premier League campaign with their lead cut to six points, and face a tricky London derby against Brentford on Thursday evening. Mikel Arteta’s side could come into this game with their lead further cut down as Manchester City play ahead of their midweek fixture.
Yet, Arsenal have won all four of their games since their defeat to Manchester United, and are in goalscoring form as well. A 3-0 win over Sunderland last weekend saw Arteta’s side at their efficient best as they strolled to victory.
Brentford, in contrast, endured a topsy-turvy trip to Newcastle United, but came out on top with a 3-2 win, their second consecutive away win in the league after beating Aston Villa previously. Keith Andrews side are now level on points with Liverpool and are in the mix for UEFA Champions League spots.
Here’s everything you need to know about Tuesday’s game.
How to watch:
The match will be will be shown on Thursday on TNT Sports 1 in the UK, NBC/Peacock in the U.S., JioHotstar in India and Stan Sport in Australia. You can also follow ESPN’s live updates.
Key Details:
Kick-off time: Thursday, Feb 12 at 8:00 p.m. GMT (3 p.m. ET; 1.30 a.m. IST, Friday and 6:00 a.m. AEST, Friday).
Venue: Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford.
Referee: John Brooks
VAR: Stuart Attwell
Injury and Team News:
Brentford:
Fábio Carvalho, M: ACL, OUT, est. return early August
Josh Dasilva, M: knock, OUT, est. return late February
Arsenal:
Max Dowman, M: ankle, OUT, est. return late February
Mikel Merino, M: foot, OUT, est. return late May
Bukayo Saka, F/M: discomfort, DOUBT
Martin Ødegaard, M: discomfort, DOUBT
Talking Points:
Will Arsenal hold on to their lead?
The emotional upheaval of going nine points clear, with Liverpool taking a 1-0 lead over Manchester City with seven minutes of normal time left to Pep Guardiola’s side, then turning the game on its head to win 2-1 and reduce Arsenal’s lead back to six cannot be underplayed.
As much as Mikel Arteta maintains that his team are taking it game-by-game, the potential for this season to unravel remains high. Arsenal could go into the game with their lead atop the Premier League cut to three points, and should they drop points against Brentford, the wobbles of seasons past could come back to haunt them.
This is as must-win as it gets, even if City stumble against Fulham to give Arsenal a buffer. With trips to the Etihad and an away North London Derby to come, Arteta’s side will need every bit of their six-point advantage.
Despite poor record, Brentford have always been awkward opponents
Brentford’s first win in the Premier League came against Arsenal on the opening day of the 2021-22 season, a result which began a spell that nearly saw Arteta sacked. Arsenal have won seven and drawn two of the next nine games since between the two teams, which points to some dominance, but the truth is they’ve often been hard-fought victories.
Arsenal’s 2-0 victory from early on in the season only became comfortable when Bukayo Saka scored an injury time goal, and there have been late single-goal victories in four of the other six wins. Keith Andrews has built quite the fortress at the Gtech Community Stadium — only Arsenal, City, Villa and Manchester United have more wins at home this season.
Brentford can boast of the fifth-best attacking and defensive record at home, so Arsenal have to be wary as their hosts have the firepower to hurt them. Despite the high-profile departures of Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo in the summer, Andrews has harnessed Igor Thiago and Dango Ouattara into an arguably even more effective duo.
Is Arsenal’s captain holding them back?
As the cameras panned to an injured Martin Ødegaard watching Arsenal romp to a 3-0 win over Sunderland, there was a slight hint of concern on his face. The Norwegian has featured in 90 of Arsenal’s last 360 minutes and has only been on the pitch for two of Arsenal’s 11 goals in that span — nine of which have come from open play.
Kai Havertz‘s return to the side has coincided with Arsenal moving the ball much quicker up the pitch, and the German has quickly struck up a much more effective partnership with Viktor Gyökeres. Arteta’s side aren’t as dependent on set-pieces as before, being able to break open teams with Havertz incisiveness.
Ødegaard may be currently injured, but Arteta faces quite the awkward decision once his captain returns to fitness. The Norwegian might offer a better press than Havertz, but with Arsenal’s defence in little need of protection, Arteta might persist with what’s worked for Arsenal in recent times.
Igor Thiago vs. Gabriel / Saliba
Only Erling Haaland (21) has more league goals than Igor Thiago (17) this season, so it’s perhaps clear what Andrews’ main weapon will be. Yet, in the reverse fixture earlier in the season, Thiago barely troubled the league’s best defensive partnership in William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães.
The Brazilian only managed a 50% passing accuracy, had no shots at all, and was restricted to one touch in the opposition box after coming on for the last 30 minutes of the game.
Yet, Thiago has six goals in his last six league games and he should be quite confident, especially after scoring against Newcastle in Brentford’s most recent win. Saliba has played in 630 of the last 720 available minutes with Gabriel also playing in 555 of those. The duo have appeared leggy in recent games, with Saliba in particular losing physical battles against the likes of Brian Brobbey. Thiago could have the chance to rewrite his record against Arsenal’s defensive stalwarts.
Arteta’s finishers
It’s been a term Arteta has repeated enough this season, borrowing Eddie Jones’ term in rugby for football as well, classifying his substitutes as finishers, and not starters. The mentality shift has worked — Arsenal lead the league in goal contributions from substitutes (16).
It seems to have aided the likes of Gyökeres as well, with the Swede coming on to great effect and now topping the league in goals scored in 2026, with six goals in eight games. Gabriel Martinelli has benefited as well, with the Brazilian the most productive substitute in the league.
Arsenal have hit on a winning strategy — blow open opposition’s low blocks with a set-piece goal, and use Gyökeres and Martinelli’s pace and power in the transitions against tired legs and more open spaces on the pitch. With Arteta’s side still in contention in four competitions, it’s a formula that could end the wait for a trophy.
