Brentford vs Arsenal LIVE: Premier League team news, line-ups and more ahead of fixture today

Arsenal have the chance to return to the top of the Premier League table as they visit Brentford this afternoon. Mikel Arteta’s side were humbled in a 2-0 defeat on their last trip to the Brentford Community Stadium on the opening night of last season but the Gunners will want to prove the progress they have since made.

Arsenal will also hope to bounce back to their 3-1 defeat at Manchester United two weeks ago, in what was their last Premier League outing before last weekend’s fixtures were postponed.

Brentford may be in a celebratory mood after Ivan Toney received a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad as a reward for his early season form. Toney scored a hat-trick in Brentford’s last match, which was a thumping 5-2 win over Leeds. Follow Brentford vs Arsenal in the Premier League, below:

Brentford vs Arsenal

Match live on Sky Sports Main Event

Arsenal will move to top of Premier League with victory

Brentford undefeated in three league matches

Martin Odegaard misses out after knock in training

Brentford XI: Raya; Hickey, Ajer, Jansson, Mee, Henry; Jensen, Janelt, Dasilva; Mbeumo, Toney

Arsenal XI: Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tierney; Xhaka, Partey; Saka, Vieira, Martinelli; Jesus

Brentford FC 0 – 1 Arsenal FC

GOAL! Brentford 0-1 Arsenal (Saliba, 18’)⚽️

12:18 , Michael Jones

18 mins: Arsenal take the lead! Bukayo Saka swings the corner into the middle of the box as William Saliba shifts in front Ivan Toney and gets up to meet the ball.

He glances a header over to the back post where the ball hits the upright and bounces over the goal line!

Brentford 0-0 Arsenal

12:17 , Michael Jones

15 mins: Ivan Toney tracks back to help out his team defensively and knocks the ball out for an Arsenal throw in. Ben White chucks it into the box for Bukayo Saka’s run but he’s shrugged off the ball and Brentford send it behind for a corner.

Brentford 0-0 Arsenal

12:15 , Michael Jones

12 mins: Ben Mee gets the Brentford crowd going with a lunging, sliding tackle on Fabio Vieira. The Portuguese isn’t happy about the power that Mee took him down with but Mee won the ball and knocks it out of play.

Story continues

Solid defending and the Brentford fans enjoyed it.

Brentford 0-0 Arsenal

12:10 , Michael Jones

9 mins: Ben White flicks the ball over to the left side of the pitch where Bryan Mbeumo tries to intercept the pass. The ball comes loose and gets poked up to Gabriel Martinelli on the wing.

He cuts inside and chips a cross into the middle hoping to pick out Gabriel Jesus but Ben Mee is there to boot it clear for the Bees.

Brentford 0-0 Arsenal

12:07 , Michael Jones

6 mins: Close! Brentford are spraying the ball out wide and looking to cross it into their front two strikers. Rico Henry brings down a diagonal ball over to the left wing then curls a cross into the far side of the box.

Bryan Mbeumo wins the header bu can’t generate much power and nods it straight to Aaron Ramsdale.

Brentford 0-0 Arsenal

12:05 , Michael Jones

3 mins: Chance! Gabriel Martinelli should score!

He starts the move with a pass back to William Saliba who drives up to the box and sends the ball back to Martinelli. His next touch sends the ball into the left side of the area where Granit Xhaka is in bags of space.

Xhaka controls the ball and draws in the nearest defender before gifting it back to Martinelli who’s moved into the penalty area.

Martinelli wants to shoot but slips at the vital moment and scuffs his effort softly to David Raya.

Kick off: Brentford 0-0 Arsenal

12:02 , Michael Jones

Gabriel Jesus gets the match started and Arsenal boot the ball long. It’s won in the air and nodded back to Jesus who is quickly closed down and has to pass the ball backwards.

Brentford vs Arsenal

11:56 , Michael Jones

Here come the teams! There’ll be a minute’s silence for the Queen before the game gets underway.

Mikel Arteta and Thomas Frank lead the players out onto the pitch carrying floral wreaths that they lay down in the centre circle.

Pre-match thoughts of Mikel Arteta

11:54 , Michael Jones

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta spoke to Sky Sports before kick off and explained why Zinchenko and Odegaard were excluding from today’s squad saying: “Oleksandr Zinchenko and Martin Odegaard are both injured and not available for the game. I don’t know [how long they are out for], there are two different things but we don’t know yet.

“A great learning day last season, when you have tough and difficult moments in life, it is how you take the most out of it and learn to go onto the next one.

“We have to show it on the pitch, we have prepared in the best possible way and we want to put right what happened last season.

“We want to be top of the table again, in order to do that we have to win here, perform and compete at the highest level.”

Arsenal’s key man?

11:49 , Michael Jones

Prior to the weekend, Gabriel Jesus had more touches in the opposition box (66), attempted more dribbles (34) and won more fouls (21) than any other player in the Premier League this season.

(Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Super sub

11:44 , Michael Jones

Yoane Wissa has netted five Premier League goals as a substitute since the start of last season, more than any other player.

(Action Images via Reuters)

Playing for the Queen

11:40 , Michael Jones

Black armbands will be worn by both teams today in memory of Queen Elizabeth II.

Mikel Arteta’s single most crucial job is ensuring Arsenal have learnt how to overcome setbacks

11:36 , Michael Jones

Arsenal are better. Arsenal are ready. Arsenal are back. From where and what they’re ready for is still up for debate, but the excited masses of supporters have been – entirely understandably – near-giddy at the Gunners sitting top of the early Premier League table.

Unquestionably, there is greater cohesion in parts of the team at the start of this season, better depth in key areas and individual improvement on show in the squad.

On the sidelines, Mikel Arteta continues to cut an invested, demanding figure. He deserves credit for Arsenal being a more watchable, enjoyable (oh, and a more frequently winning) team for sure, even if there remains more than a tinge of over-animation about his technical area dramatics.

More than a few have expressed the opinion of it being faintly comedic watching the Spaniard in action: furiously gesticulating and stretching to bellow orders at a player three yards away from him on a throw-in, or burying his face in his hands after the concession of a goal.

But therein also lies a part of the puzzle to solve which now confronts the Gunners: to truly transition into a side which can compete at the top again, they must be able to handle setbacks far better than the evidence until this point suggests.

Arteta’s most crucial job is ensuring Arsenal have learnt to overcome setbacks

Brentford scoring from range

11:30 , Michael Jones

Brentford have scored an unrivalled four Premier League goals from outside the penalty area this season. They only netted three such goals in the entire 2021/22 Premier League campaign.

The Bees have grown in confidence in front of goal but Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney especially keen to get shots off for all around the penalty area.

Win or lose?

11:26 , Michael Jones

Arsenal have gone 23 Premier League matches without a draw – 16 wins, seven defeats – the longest ongoing run of sides currently in the top flight.

(Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Brentford’s attacking prowess

11:21 , Michael Jones

Thomas Frank’s side have scored 15 top-flight goals this term, a figure bettered only by Manchester City. The Londoners are averaging 2.5 goals per game, compared to 1.3 in their debut Premier League campaign.

They have outperformed their expected goals total (10.2) by almost five and will prove a threat to Arsenal this afternoon.

Thomas Frank reveals Gareth Southgate let him tell Ivan Toney about England call

11:17 , Michael Jones

Thomas Frank hailed Gareth Southgate’s classy touch of allowing the Brentford manager to break the news to Ivan Toney that he had made the England squad.

Clinical striker Toney earned his maiden England call-up on Thursday, with the 26-year-old now eyeing the chance to push for a spot at November’s World Cup.

Toney became Brentford’s first England pick in 83 years, leaving the west Londoners in buoyant mood ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash with Arsenal.

And the Bees’ Danish manager Frank made a point of thanking Southgate for allowing him to share in Toney’s special moment.

Thomas Frank reveals Gareth Southgate let him tell Ivan Toney about England call

Arsenal vs London clubs

11:12 , Michael Jones

Arsenal have won five of their last eight league games away to fellow London clubs which is as many as they had in their previous 23 attempts.

They can win three successive top-flight London derbies for the first time since March 2015 if they are victorious today.

Brentford vs Arsenal team changes

11:07 , Michael Jones

Thomas Frank makes two changes to the Brentford team that started in the 5-2 victory against Leeds last time out. Shandon Baptiste and Keane Lewis-Potter drop out with Josh Dasilva and Kristoffer Ajer coming in. It also looks like a change in formation with Frank preferring five at the back against the Gunners.

Mikel Arteta meanwhile makes three changes to the Arsenal side that lost to Manchester United. Martin Odegaard isn’t with the squad after picking up a knock in training so Fabio Vieira earns a starting place. Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney both return with Oleksandr Zinchenko out injured and Albert Sambi Lokonga on the bench.

Brentford vs Arsenal line-ups

11:02 , Michael Jones

Brentford XI: Raya; Hickey, Ajer, Jansson, Mee, Henry; Jensen, Janelt, Dasilva; Mbeumo, Toney

Arsenal XI: Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tierney; Xhaka, Partey; Saka, Vieira, Martinelli; Jesus

Brentford enjoy London derbies

10:54 , Michael Jones

Brentford’s only defeat in their last 17 home league London derbies was a 1-0 loss to Chelsea in October 2021. They have won 13 and drawn three such games during that run including a victory over Arsenal last season.

Can they extend that today or will the Gunners inflict a second defeat on the Bees?

Thomas Frank on Arsenal

10:49 , Michael Jones

Brentford boss, Thomas Frank, says that Arsenal have been the best performing team so far this year and can possibly even go on to win the Premier League title. He added that the Gunners are a different side to the one that Brentford defeated on the opening game of the season last year and if the Bees repeat that performance it will be a brilliant result

“We are playing against a very good side. When we beat them a year ago, I think they were not in the same place as they are now.” said Frank, “Doing it on Sunday would be completely different because for me, now, after Manchester City, they are the best performing team in the league.

“Maybe, in spells, they’ve been the best performing team over the first six games. I think they’ve been remarkable, especially the intensity they play with.

“I remember being sat there on the Friday night for their opening game of the season watching them against Crystal Palace. I was thinking, ‘What?! That’s another level’. For the first 20 minutes, Crystal Palace didn’t touch the ball. And I thought, ‘They could win the Premier League!’”

Odegaard to miss Brentford match

10:43 , Michael Jones

According to reports, Martin Odegaard is set to miss Arsenal’s Premier League game against Brentford this afternoon having not travelled with the squad.

The official team news is due out shortly so we’ll know more then but Odegaard has been a crucial part of Arsenal’s team this season and will be a big loss if he’s out of the match.

(Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Mikel Arteta has turned ‘remarkable’ Arsenal into title contenders, Thomas Frank claims

10:42 , Michael Jones

Thomas Frank believes Mikel Arteta has turned Arsenal into genuine Premier League title contenders this season.

Brentford boss Frank insists Arteta’s Arsenal have already overtaken the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham in the Premier League stakes.

The Bees’ Danish manager rates the Gunners as the English top-flight’s second-best outfit behind Manchester City – but still gives the Emirates Stadium side a chance of league glory this term.

Brentford opened their maiden Premier League campaign with a 2-0 home win against Arsenal last season, and the Bees host the Gunners in west London again this Sunday.

Mikel Arteta has turned Arsenal into title contenders, Thomas Frank claims

Brentford vs Arsenal

10:36 , Michael Jones

Brentford’s 2-0 win in this fixture last season means they have won five of their six home league games against Arsenal, although all the other victories came in the 1930s.

The Gunners’ solitary away victory against the Bees was a 1-0 triumph in May 1947.

Brentford vs Arsenal early team news

10:30 , Michael Jones

Sergi Canos could make his first appearance of the season for Brentford after recovering from a hamstring injury but Christian Norgaard and Ethan Pinnock are both sidelined.

Arsenal’s Thomas Partey has resumed training and will be monitored by the club following a thigh issue but Oleksandr Zinchenko continues to struggle with a calf injury.

Reiss Nelson and Mohamed Elneny are also unavailable for the Gunners while Emile Smith Rowe’s ongoing groan problem is expected to keep him out of the game too.

Arteta on whether Arsenal have lost momentum

10:23 , Michael Jones

The Gunners were the in-form team before the Premier League took a week off to pay respects after the passing Queen Elizabeth II. They had won five out of the first six games and sat top of the table but they have not played since a 2-1 victory over FC Zurich in the Europa League 10 days ago.

In the build-up to today’s game, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was asked whether this break has caused his team to lose the momentum they had built up at the start of the season.

“What happened obviously happened for a really important reason and we are always available to play, but there are police, there are authorities and other people who have to make the right decision.” he said, “The decision was made and we have adapted our schedule to be as competitive as possible for Sunday, like any other team.

“We need to play and we want to play games.

“When you look at the schedule after the World Cup especially or at what we have to go through in October, we need to play the games because if not, it’s just impossible.”

Ivan Toney handed first call-up as Gareth Southgate’s World Cup plans take shape

10:17 , Michael Jones

Ivan Toney has been handed his first England call-up ahead of September’s Nations League meetings with Italy and Germany.

In the final camp before this winter’s World Cup in Qatar, the Brentford striker has been given an opportunity to impress manager Gareth Southgate after scoring five goals in the first six Premier League games this season.

Toney is the only uncapped player in Southgate’s 28-man selection but Eric Dier returns to the fold for the first time since March of last year and Ben Chilwell also wins his place back. Dean Henderson replaces Jordan Pickford, who misses out with a thigh injury.

Harry Maguire retains his spot despite losing his starting status at Manchester United and Luke Shaw is also included, but there is still no room for either Jadon Sancho or the injured Marcus Rashford.

Ivan Toney handed first England call-up for Nations League camp

Brentford vs Arsenal

10:05 , Michael Jones

Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the Premier League on this fine Sunday afternoon. It’s a reduced schedule this weekend due to police requirements for Queen Elizabeth II’s lying in state and funeral, with only two games being played today.

First up, Arsenal take a trip to Brentford as they look to regain top spot in the table by picking up all three points. Mikel Arteta’s men are looking to get back to winning ways after losing to Manchester United last time out. The Gunners have five wins from their first six games with that loss to United the only time they’ve dropped points this season.

Brentford will be tricky customers though. Thomas Frank’s side have only lost once in the league so far – a 3-2 defea to Fulham – and are unbeaten in their last three matches. Last time out they pumped five goals past Leeds in a barmstorming victory where Ivan Toney bagged a hat-trick. His form has earned him a place in the England squad and he’ll be crucial to the Bees’ efforts today.

Later this afternoon David Moyes returns to Goodison Park as his West Ham side face Everton in a bottom of the table encounter that would see the loser end the weekend in the relegation zone.