Brentford were title-race disruptors at the Emirates last season, now they face Arsenal as relegation scrappers
Of the several stumbles that allowed Manchester City to usurp Arsenal in the race for the 2022/23 Premier League title, a 1-1 stalemate against Brentford at the Emirates in February 2023 is hardly the most memorable.
But as the Bees return to North London, this fixture is worth revisiting. It reminds us of how Brentford played ‘disruptor’ in that season’s Premier League script, placing their failure to reprise that role during this campaign in sharp focus. As the Bees journey to face an Arsenal side on the title-hunt once more, they do so as relegation scrappers not title-race disruptors.
Brentford are currently in 15th, six points clear of 18th-placed Luton, who have a game in-hand. Their previous outing, a 2-2 draw against Chelsea headlined by Yoane Wissa’s stunning overhead kick, offers some encouragement but the dire realities remain. That point against their West London rivals ended a three-game streak in which they had accumulated none, and they have lost five of their eight Premier League contests in 2024.
Thomas Frank dubbed his side “massive fighters” ahead of last weekend’s match, offering implicit recognition of an emerging consensus: Brentford are in a real struggle for their Premier League survival.
Turn the clock back to February 11th 2023 and the picture is drastically different. The 1-1 draw with Arsenal lifted Brentford onto 34 points, eight more than they have currently despite having played five fewer games. European football was within touching distance from eighth position and relegation barely thinkable, leaving them with the freedom to arrive at ‘big six’ clubs with disruption, not desperation, on their minds.
And disrupt they did. Treble-winning City were humbled home and away while Cristiano Ronaldo’s Manchester United were handed a 4-0 drubbing at the Gtech Community Stadium. All in all, they won six and lost just three in 12 encounters against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham. This earned them a reputation as a stubborn opponent for any side, combining attacking sting with a solid defensive foundation.
The strength of their play was on display at the Emirates in February. Although PGMOL would later rule that Ivan Toney’s 74th-minute equaliser should have been deemed offside, Brentford were deserving of a point. Arsenal dominated the ball, but Toney’s quality assured that the Bees were nonetheless threatening. His whipped cross found Rico Henry in the fifth minute, but the left-back failed to convert with the goal at his mercy. Twenty minutes later, it was Toney himself spurning a golden opportunity by guiding Bryan Mbeumo’s cut-back onto the Arsenal crossbar. They had impressed defensively too, such was the relief that Gunners felt as Leandro Trossard opened the scoring in the 66th minute.
As they return to the Emirates tomorrow, neither their giant-killing acumen nor their defensive repute are intact. Through ten games played against the big six this season, Brentford have won once, drawn twice, and lost seven. While the performances have not been wholly uninspiring – they went ahead against Tottenham and Manchester City before slumping to 3-2 and 3-1 defeats respectively – they have not hit the heights of last season.
Reflecting on their declining record against the big six, Frank said: “Some of it is fine margins. I think the slip [made by Kristoffer Ajer, allowing Erling Haaland to race through and score] against City is a clear fine margin not going our way. Against Liverpool we were fantastic in the first-half and then we basically gave them two of the goals so, of course, we can’t do that tomorrow. The third thing is injuries.”
The injury crisis has been especially difficult for a backline that has faced upheaval since the summer. Brentford have conceded 19 goals in eight Premier League games so far in 2024, a rate of 2.375 per game. Last season’s goalkeeper David Raya will be cheering on their opponents at the weekend after trading West for North London in a summer loan move that is expected to be made permanent but renders him ineligible to face the Bees.
While Raya has departed, the remaining members of the defensive unit that frustrated opponents throughout 2022-23 have fallen victim to injury. Left wing-back Henry has been absent since mid-September after rupturing his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and fellow full-back Aaron Hickey has been out with a hamstring problem since late October. Frank has been dealt a major blow in the centre-back department more recently, with Ben Mee out for the season with an ankle issue and Ethan Pinnock, also suffering from an ankle injury, only expected back after the March international break.
The Gunners have netted 31 goals in their previous seven outings in the Premier League, leaving Frank to deal with the unfortunate collision of an ailing defence and an offensive juggernaut. “We’ve got to defend well. Hopefully we can be aggressive and press forward at times but of course the low block will crucial,” he said.
There are key absentees at the other end too. Mbeumo had scored seven Premier League goals before undergoing surgery on his ankle in December, but Frank confirmed that he will have to wait until after the international break to make his return. Kevin Schade and Josh Dasilva, a graduate of Arsenal’s Hale End academy, are expected to miss the rest of the season.
As well as this injury crisis, the Bees must face the pressure that comes with relegation jeopardy.
All eyes were on their opponents when they travelled to the Emirates last season. Brentford, meanwhile, had the assurance of safety. They had the ambition to play European football, but they were certainly not expected to. Arsenal are under that same scrutiny this time out, but the pressure is bearing down on the Bees too. As desperation creeps in, the role of the disruptor becomes a more challenging act. Even more so against an Arsenal side who, in Frank’s view, are better than last season.
“It’s clear that they have improved from last year. I think that’s a combination of all of them learning as a young squad that’s got more experience now. And then just on the performances, they look very strong,” he said.
With a difficult run of fixtures on the horizon, Frank’s side will be desperate to put some points on the board. Next up is 19th-placed Burnley, but they have Manchester United, Brighton, and Aston Villa to contend with after that. A treble of fellow strugglers – Sheffield United, Luton Town, and Everton – follows in what will surely be three decisive games. But for now, Frank is hoping to recapture some of that disruptive magic, if just for one afternoon at the Emirates.
