Arsenal’s faint hopes of clinching the Premier League title were dealt a potentially decisive blow as Yoane Wissa’s late goal rescued a 1-1 draw for Brentford at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Mikel Arteta’s men were on a high after their stunning 3-0 win over Champions League holders Real Madrid in the quarter-final first leg in north London on Tuesday.
But the second-placed Gunners were unable to use the momentum from that remarkable victory to put pressure on Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Although Thomas Partey gave Arsenal the lead in the second half, Wissa’s leveller left them 10 points behind Liverpool, who host West Ham in their game in hand on Sunday.
Liverpool need just nine points from their last seven games to be crowned English champions for a record-equalling 20th time and first since 2020.
Arsenal are destined to finish as runners-up in the title race for a third successive season, but their focus was already firmly fixed on winning the Champions League for the first time.
With that in mind, Arteta made five changes ahead of Wednesday’s second leg in Madrid as Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber, Mikel Merino and Myles Lewis-Skelly were all rested.
Gabriel Martinelli threatened in the early moments, but Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken was equal to his strike.
There was a feeling of anti-climax after the drama and passion on display on the pitch and in the stands against Real.
Arsenal’s fans were inevitably unable to match the atmosphere that rocked the Emirates in midweek, and the players did little to raise the decibel levels with their flat opening.
Sensing an opportunity for his club’s first win at Arsenal since 1938, Kristoffer Ajer nearly put Brentford ahead with a low shot that David Raya blocked with his legs.
Kieran Tierney thought he had headed Arsenal into the lead after 26 minutes, but his effort was disallowed by the semi-automated offside system being used for the first time in the Premier League on Saturday.
Arsenal left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko was denied by Flekken before Declan Rice’s drive was repelled by the Dutchman.
Flekken made his best save of the half when he plunged to his left to keep out Leandro Trossard’s long-range blast.
But Flekken was finally beaten in the 61st minute as Rice showed there is more to his attacking game that unstoppable free-kicks.
When Raya caught a Brentford corner and rolled the ball out to Rice, the England midfielder embarked on a lung-bursting run from the edge of his own area into the Brentford box, where he laid a perfect pass into Partey, who smashed a clinical finish past Flekken.
Arteta sent on Saka, Odegaard and Lewis-Skelly in a bid to deliver the knockout blow.
But Brentford refused to be intimidated as the visitors snatched a well-crafted equaliser in the 74th minute.
Nathan Collins met Michael Kayode’s cross with a header that Arsenal failed to clear as Wissa swivelled to fire past Raya from close range.
Saka wasted a chance to restore Arsenal’s lead with a tame finish and then curled just wide in stoppage time after Jorginho went off with a shoulder injury that forced the Gunners to play the final minutes with 10 men.
AFP
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