Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by Brentford at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League, leaving them 10 points behind Liverpool in the title race.
The home side controlled much of the first half but couldn’t make their dominance count, with Gabriel Martinelli having the best opportunity before the break.
Thomas Partey gave The Gunners the lead in the 61st minute with a brilliant finish past an outstretched Mark Flekken. However, 14 minutes later, The Bees found an equaliser through Yoane Wissa, bringing the visitors back into the game.
Arsenal couldn’t find the winner, leaving them second in the table with six games remaining, while Liverpool now need just three more victories to clinch the title.
As it happened
The away side started strongly against a makeshift Arsenal team, with Mikel Arteta opting to rest several key players ahead of their Champions League clash with Real Madrid on Wednesday night.
Arsenal began to settle after withstanding early pressure, with Martinelli forcing a smart save from Mark Flekken. However, the resulting corner was dealt with comfortably.
Embed from Getty ImagesA strong spell of possession saw the away side create a clear chance, with Kristoffer Ajer forcing David Raya into a sharp save to keep the score level. Moments later, Kieran Tierney thought he had put Arsenal ahead, but the goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR check using the new semi-automated technology.
The home side finished the half strongly, with Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard both coming close, but Flekken produced two good saves to keep the score goalless at the break.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Gunners came out of the blocks quickly, looking to take the lead and continue their strong record against Brentford, with just one home defeat in their last 10 meetings, dating back to Highbury in 1938.
Arsenal made the most of their possession and found the breakthrough in the 61st minute after a quick counter from a Brentford corner. Raya released Rice, who drove forward before laying it off to Partey, and the midfielder fired his effort past Flekken to give Arteta’s team a deserved lead.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe away side found their equaliser in the 75th minute after an inswinging corner was initially cleared. Bryan Mbeumo whipped a superb ball back into the box, where Nathan Collins headed it down to Wissa, who turned and finished with an acrobatic strike past Raya.
The North London side pushed for a winner, but a resilient Brentford defence held firm, leaving The Gunners to settle for a point. They now sit 10 points behind Liverpool with six games remaining.
The Lineups
ARS: Raya; Partey, Saliba, Kiwior, Tierney; Jorginho, Rice, Zinchenko; Martinelli, Trossard, Nwaneri
BRE: Flekken; Lewis-Potter, Van den Berg, Collins, Ajer; Janelt, Norgaard; Schade, Damsgaard, Mbeumo; Wissa
