Gunners surrender lead at Gtech Community Stadium, giving Manchester City fresh hope in title race
Just when it looked like Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal had found their answer to another tricky away test, Brentford punched back.
Keane Lewis-Potter’s 71st-minute header cancelled out Noni Madueke’s opener, leaving the Gunners to settle for a 1-1 draw that felt far more like two points dropped than one gained. The result means Arsenal miss the chance to restore their six-point cushion at the top, with Manchester City now lurking just four points behind.
It was a game that told you everything about why this title race is going down to the wire — and why Brentford might just be the league’s most awkward customer.
The Bees came out swinging. David Raya, back on his old stomping ground, had to atone for a nervy moment early on, clawing away Igor Thiago’s header after his own clearance had invited the pressure. Dango Ouattara fizzed crosses across the box that begged for a finishing touch. Arsenal, by contrast, couldn’t find one.
At half-time, the numbers told a grim story for the visitors: zero shots on target. The only PL game this season with fewer first-half attempts than this one? Wolves against these same Brentford back in December.
The deadlock finally broke just past the hour. Piero Hincapié stood up a gorgeous cross from the left, and Madueke — having shed Rico Henry like a winter coat — planted a header beyond CaoimhÃn Kelleher. Away end erupts. Arsenal in front. Job half done.
Except Brentford didn’t go quietly.
Lewis-Potter had already nodded wide from a corner he should have buried. When Michael Kayode launched one of those long throws that have become Brentford’s not-so-secret weapon, Sepp van den Berg flicked on and Lewis-Potter made no mistake second time around.
From there, it was end-to-end chaos. Thiago was a battering ram, denied only by Cristhian Mosquera’s desperate, brilliant slide. Gabriel Martinelli fizzed one just wide in the dying moments. Both sides went for it. Neither could land the killer blow.
For Arsenal, it’s another frustrating stumble in a season where perfection feels demanded. For Brentford, it’s further proof they belong in the European conversation — they sit seventh, two points off Liverpool, playing with a belief that no longer surprises anyone.
And for neutrals? Another twist in a title race that refuses to behave itself.
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