Arsenal’s faint hopes of a Premier League title were effectively extinguished as a late equaliser from Yoane Wissa handed Brentford a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Despite riding high on the momentum of their stunning 3-0 win over Champions League holders Real Madrid in the quarter-final first leg in north London on Tuesday, Mikel Arteta’s side struggled to press home their advantage. Although Thomas Partey gave Arsenal the lead in the second half, the Gunners failed to capitalize on their momentum and remain 10 points adrift of Liverpool.
The deficit comes as Liverpool prepare to host West Ham in their game in hand on Sunday, with the Reds needing just nine points from their last seven games to secure a record-equalling 20th league title—their first since 2020. Meanwhile, Arsenal appear destined to finish as runners-up in the title race for a third consecutive season, with Arteta’s focus already firmly set on clinching the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.
In a bid to rest key players ahead of Wednesday’s second leg in Madrid, Arteta made five changes to the side, sidelining stars such as Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber, Mikel Merino, and Myles Lewis-Skelly. While Gabriel Martinelli posed early threats for the Gunners, Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken was equal to his challenge, keeping the visitors in the contest.
The match, marked by moments of anticlimax following the midweek drama against Real Madrid, saw Arsenal fans unable to recapture the electric atmosphere of the previous fixture. Brentford capitalised on this lull: Kristoffer Ajer nearly put them ahead with a low shot that David Raya managed to block, and Kieran Tierney’s header that appeared to have given Arsenal the lead was disallowed by the league’s new semi-automated offside system.
Later, Oleksandr Zinchenko’s effort was denied by Flekken, who then made his standout save of the first half by diving to his left to tip away Leandro Trossard’s thunderous strike. However, in the 61st minute, the breakthrough came when Flekken was eventually beaten. When Raya collected a Brentford corner and rolled the ball to England midfielder Declan Rice, Rice embarked on a blistering run from deep within his own half and laid in a perfect pass for Partey. The Ghanaian international then smashed a clinical finish past Flekken to restore Arsenal’s lead.
With time running out, Arteta responded by bringing on fresh legs in the form of Saka, Odegaard, and Lewis-Skelly to try and deliver the knockout blow. But Brentford refused to yield. In the 74th minute, Nathan Collins met Michael Kayode’s precise cross with a header that Arsenal failed to clear, allowing Yoane Wissa to swivel and fire the equaliser from close range.
Arsenal’s attempts to retake the lead proved futile. Saka squandered a promising chance with a tame finish, and, after Jorginho was forced off with a shoulder injury—leaving the Gunners to play the final minutes with 10 men—his subsequent effort curled just wide in stoppage time.
