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Arsenal's Premier League title aspirations suffered a further setback on Saturday as they were held to a 1–1 draw at home by Brentford, a result that leaves Liverpool within striking distance of the championship.
Following their emphatic 3â-0 UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first-leg victory over Real Madrid midweek, the Gunners struggled to replicate that intensity against a well-drilled Brentford side. Despite enjoying large spells of possession, Mikel Arteta's men were unable to secure the three points, allowing league leaders Liverpool - who host West Ham United on Sunday-to remain 10 points clear with a game in hand.
Thomas Partey gave Arsenal the lead just past the hour mark after a surging run and incisive assist from Declan Rice, whose form has been central to Arsenal's campaign. However, Yoane Wissa equalised for Brentford in the 74th minute with a well-executed finish from close range, denying the hosts a crucial victory.
Speaking after the match, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed his disappointment.
"We are disappointed with the result. We had full control of the game and conceded a very poor goal. It was not good enough, and when you don't execute properly against a team like this, you get punished," said the Spanish tactician.
Arteta made several changes to the starting XI, likely with next week's second leg in Madrid in mind, as Arsenal continue to balance domestic and European ambitions. However, the rotated lineup struggled to break down Brentford's compact defensive structure, particularly in a subdued first half.
Kieran Tierney, making his first Premier League start in nearly two years, appeared to have opened the scoring with a header, only for VAR-utilizing new semi-automated offside technology - to rule the goal out.
Brentford, meanwhile, looked comfortable in the early stages and produced the best chance of the first half when Kristoffer Ajer was denied by an excellent save from David Raya.
The breakthrough came on the hour through Rice's dynamic counterattack, carrying the ball the length of the pitch before releasing Partey for a composed finish. The England international has now been involved in 16 goals across all competitions this season-his joint-best return to date.
However, Arsenal's set-piece vulnerability resurfaced when they conceded from a corner, Wissa capitalising to net his 15th league goal of the season. The Gunners have now dropped 16 points from winning positions in the current campaign-just one fewer than in the previous two seasons combined.
Brentford head coach Thomas Frank praised his side's resilience.
"Of course, it is a very good point against a very good Arsenal team that beat Real Madrid four days ago. Fighting back to make it 1â-1 shows the character in our team. I would have liked us to create more opportunities, but Arsenal defended well."
The result sees Arsenal remain in second place, while Brentford climb to 11th as they continue to consolidate their position in the top half of the table.
