November 8, 2024

Brentford 0-3 Arsenal: Ethan Nwaneri becomes youngest ever Premier League player as Gunners go top

Brentford #Brentford

Arsenal take the lead against Brentford in the Premier League through William Saliba's header Since the start of last season, only Liverpool (20) and Manchester City (19) have scored more Premier League goals from corners than Arsenal (17)

Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri became the youngest ever Premier League player aged 15 years and 181 days as the Gunners defeated Brentford to return to the top of the table.

Mikel Arteta sent on the schoolboy midfielder in the closing moments with his side leading 3-0.

Arsenal’s travelling fans greeted Nwaneri’s appearance by singing: “School in the morning, he’s got school in the morning.”

William Saliba set Arsenal on their way to a sixth win in seven top-flight games this season after the France defender climbed high to head Bukayo Saka’s corner in off the post.

It was 2-0 inside the opening half an hour as Brazil forward Gabriel Jesus, a £45m signing from Manchester City in July, headed Granit Xhaka’s measured chip past David Raya for his fourth goal in Arsenal colours.

Portuguese midfielder Fabio Vieira capped a dominant Arsenal display by marking his first Premier League start since joining from Porto with a goal from 25 yards.

Brentford were unbeaten in their previous three games and could have climbed to fifth in the table with a win, but they rarely threatened as forward Ivan Toney, who has been called up by England for the first time, struggled for service.

Arsenal had started the weekend top of the table but dropped to third after Manchester City and Tottenham won on Saturday.

This win, however, put the Gunners on 18 points, one more than their nearest rivals before their next match against Spurs in the north London derby at Emirates Stadium on 1 October (12:30 BST).

Mikel Arteta ‘really pleased’ with Arsenal performance Stylish Gunners show they mean business

Arsenal were bullied in the corresponding fixture last season and tamely went down 2-0 against newly promoted Brentford on the opening day of the 2021-22 campaign.

After that game, Brentford striker Toney made a slight dig at the Gunners by tweeting ‘nice kick about with the boys’, something Arsenal defender Gabriel was quick to revisit after Sunday’s win.

A lot has changed since then and this is a very different Gunners team full of grit, determination and character.

After a first setback of the season at Manchester United in their previous Premier League game, all eyes were on how they would respond against a Brentford side that embarrassed United five weeks earlier.

Despite the absence of influential captain Martin Odegaard because of injury, they dominated from start to finish.

Gabriel Martinelli once again put in an eye-catching shift, Saliba was strong at the back while Saka, who also teed-up Vieira, finished with two assists as the Gunners swept to a third clean-sheet away win of the season.

Ben White, left out of the latest England squad, also played a key role while the margin of victory could have been more but for two fine saves by Raya at 3-0 to keep out Jesus and Saka.

Arsenal have not played in the Champions League since 2016-17.

There is still a long way to go, but the signs look promising for Arteta as Arsenal continue to build on a strong start and give their supporters hope they can qualify for European club football’s most prestigious competition.

Brentford 0-3 Arsenal: Gunners will be Premier League title contenders – Thomas Frank Brentford second best

There has been no sign of “second-season syndrome” at Brentford after heavy wins over Manchester United and Leeds.

However, they were distinctly second best against Arsenal yet go into the international break in the top half of the table.

There has been much to celebrate at the club over the past 18 months, not least Toney becoming the first Bees player to be called up by England’s senior team since 1939.

Toney went closest to scoring for the hosts following a free-kick but Brentford were below par as they failed to score in the Premier League for the first time since 2 May.

Brentford have come so far in a short space of time but this was a day to forget.

Player of the match

Gabriel JesusGabriel Jesus

Brentford

  • Squad number1Player nameRaya

  • Squad number2Player nameHickey

  • Squad number17Player nameToney

  • Squad number20Player nameAjer

  • Squad number16Player nameMee

  • Squad number18Player nameJansson

  • Squad number3Player nameHenry

  • Squad number27Player nameJanelt

  • Squad number10Player nameDasilva

  • Squad number19Player nameMbeumo

  • Squad number8Player nameJensen

  • Squad number24Player nameDamsgaard

  • Squad number26Player nameBaptiste

  • Squad number11Player nameWissa

  • Squad number15Player nameOnyeka

  • Line-ups Brentford

    Formation 3-5-2

    1Raya

    20Ajer18Jansson16Mee

    2Hickey10Dasilva27Janelt8Jensen3Henry

    19Mbeumo17Toney

  • 1Raya
  • 20Ajer
  • 18Jansson
  • 16Mee
  • 2Hickey
  • 10Dasilva Substituted forDamsgaardat 63’minutes
  • 27Janelt Substituted forOnyekaat 63’minutes
  • 8Jensen Substituted forBaptisteat 69’minutes
  • 3Henry
  • 19Mbeumo Substituted forWissaat 76’minutes
  • 17Toney
  • Substitutes

  • 7Canós
  • 11Wissa
  • 13M Jorgensen
  • 14Ghoddos
  • 15Onyeka
  • 22Strakosha
  • 24Damsgaard
  • 26Baptiste
  • 30Roerslev
  • Arsenal

    Formation 4-2-3-1

    1Ramsdale

    4White12Saliba6Gabriel3Tierney

    5Partey34Xhaka

    7Saka21Ferreira Vieira11Martinelli

    9Gabriel Jesus

  • 1Ramsdale
  • 4White Substituted forTomiyasuat 86’minutes
  • 12Saliba
  • 6Gabriel
  • 3Tierney
  • 5Partey Substituted forSambi Lokongaat 78’minutes
  • 34XhakaBooked at 58mins
  • 7Saka Substituted forOliveira Alencarat 90+2’minutes
  • 21Ferreira Vieira Substituted forNwaneriat 90+2’minutes
  • 11Martinelli Substituted forNketiahat 78’minutes
  • 9Gabriel JesusBooked at 90mins
  • Substitutes

  • 14Nketiah
  • 16Holding
  • 18Tomiyasu
  • 23Sambi Lokonga
  • 27Oliveira Alencar
  • 30Turner
  • 72Smith
  • 83Nwaneri
  • 96Sousa
  • Live Text

  • Match ends, Brentford 0, Arsenal 3.

  • 90’+5′

    Second Half ends, Brentford 0, Arsenal 3.

  • 90’+2′

    Substitution, Arsenal. Marquinhos replaces Bukayo Saka.

  • 90’+2′

    Substitution, Arsenal. Ethan Nwaneri replaces Fábio Vieira.

  • 90’+1′

    Attempt missed. Ivan Toney (Brentford) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Mikkel Damsgaard with a cross following a set piece situation.

  • 90′

    Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  • 90′

    Foul by Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal).

  • 90′

    Aaron Hickey (Brentford) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  • 87′

    Kieran Tierney (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  • 87′

    Foul by Frank Onyeka (Brentford).

  • 87′

    Attempt saved. Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is saved in the bottom right corner.

  • 86′

    Substitution, Arsenal. Takehiro Tomiyasu replaces Ben White.

  • 85′

    Albert Sambi Lokonga (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  • 85′

    Foul by Frank Onyeka (Brentford).

  • 84′

    Foul by Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal).

  • 84′

    Kristoffer Ajer (Brentford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  • 81′

    Offside, Brentford. Mikkel Damsgaard tries a through ball, but Yoane Wissa is caught offside.

  • 80′

    Offside, Brentford. Mikkel Damsgaard tries a through ball, but Ivan Toney is caught offside.

  • 79′

    Foul by Bukayo Saka (Arsenal).

  • 79′

    Frank Onyeka (Brentford) wins a free kick on the left wing.

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