Premier League news: Five talking points from Arsenal’s victory over Brentford as Mikel Merino stars
Arsenal defeated Brentford 2-0 at the Emirates on Wednesday, returning to winning ways after their momentum had been checked by a 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Sunday.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Tom Gardiner breaks down five key talking points from the Gunners’ victory.
Rotated XI gets over the line
Arsenal started the match with three changes to their starting XI from the Chelsea game.
The entire right flank was revamped, with Ben White, Martin Ødegaard, and Noni Madueke replacing Jurrien Timber, Eberechi Eze, and Bukayo Saka, respectively.
Ironically, it was these three that were directly involved in the opening goal – Mikel Merino heading home after 11 minutes following skillful, precise wing play from the trio.
Arsenal’s ambition in the summer transfer window was to provide healthy competition for places by strengthening the reserve members of the squad.
This was evident when Arsenal won the match without either of their first-choice central defenders, Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba, or fan-favourite Saka starting from the off.
Saka entered the fray on the hour mark and subsequently doubled Arsenal’s lead, cementing the three points for his side.
Rotating key players is vital for Mikel Arteta to maintain a winning form all season long.
Injuries and a loss of momentum have been Arsenal’s Achilles heel in recent years, so keeping the stars fit and firing is top of the agenda.
Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon should provide a stern test, meaning that a win in midweek with a weakened XI will have pleased Arteta and his staff.
Brentford’s unique set-piece threat is nullified
It is unusual for Arsenal to concede more corners than their opponents, but that was the case on Wednesday evening.
Brentford won eight corners to Arsenal’s four but failed to make them count.
The closest they came was a first-half header from Kevin Schade which called David Raya into emphatic action, his cat-like reflexes tipping the ball onto the crossbar.
Brentford have long been perceived as a set-piece threat and would’ve favoured their chances without Gabriel and Saliba heading them away.
In addition to their corner threat, full-back Michael Kayode has one of the Premier League’s most unique weapons: his long throw in.
It is the longest in the division, with his best effort coming against Fulham, clocking in at 38.52 metres.
Not only does his throw carry a huge distance, the pace and trajectory make it a nightmare for defenders and goalkeepers.
However, this worked to no avail against Arsenal, with the makeshift back four guarding their goal effectively to maintain a clean sheet.
Merino is Arsenal’s Swiss Army knife
Given the long-term absence of both Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, Viktor Gyökeres was brought in to lead the line for the Gunners.
He too faced an injury setback against Burnley in November and is only now beginning to make his return.
With all senior strikers out of action, midfielder Merino has been filling the void and proving rather effective at doing so.
Since Gyökeres’ injury, Merino has started five out of six games up front, scoring five goals in that period.
Not only is the Spaniard effective in the air, his football IQ allows him to follow Arteta’s instructions clearly.
He can often be seen dropping as deep as the defenders and rotating with the right-back, right winger, or central midfield players.
This peculiar asset makes Arsenal a difficult side to contain, with so many rotations inevitably causing opponents to lose their markers.
With Gyökores nearing full fitness, Jesus making the bench again, and Havertz not far off either, Merino’s stint up front will come to an end soon, but Arteta knows he can rely on his countryman to lead the line when called upon.
When he arrived in north London, not many rated his talent at the top of the pitch, but his languid style and deceptively good movement and finishing skills make him a handy backup.
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Injuries continue to plague Arteta’s side
Declan Rice, Ben White, and Cristhian Mosquera all left the field with injuries on Wednesday, pushing Arsenal down to bare bones defensively speaking.
All three favoured central defenders are now set for a stint on the sidelines.
The official injury list is as follows; Havertz, Gabriel, Mosquera, Saliba, Rice, and Leandro Trossard.
Brentford were moreover the first of Arsenal’s eight December fixtures.
Arteta has fallen short in the past due to injuries, so he will be hoping his key men on the treatment table can nurse speedy recoveries.
Thus far, the plentiful squad depth has papered over the cracks, but injuries to any more key players could see the Gunners’ momentum derailed.
The silver lining is that the remaining seven matches of 2025 are all ‘winnable’ games, with Villa on Saturday providing the toughest assessment of Arsenal’s squad.
However, there are no easy games in the Premier League, so maintaining fitness whilst churning out results will be no easy task.
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A healthy points lead is maintained
Victory against Brentford saw Arsenal keep their five-point gap over second-placed Manchester City.
Chelsea fell short away to Leeds United, halting their pursuit of the Gunners, while Saturday’s opponents Aston Villa sit in third place, six points off top spot.
Should Arsenal keep up their winning form, they will sit top of the tree come Christmas – a fabled position to be in as about 50 per cent of sides go on to lift the trophy in May from there.
Arsenal have admittedly fallen short before after leading during the festive season, so they will be eager not to get ahead of themselves.
Leaving the Midlands with all three points will be a welcome sight for Arteta, with Villa Park proving to be a tricky hunting ground for Arsenal of late.
Additionally, ex-Arsenal boss Unai Emery always seems to be a thorn in the side of Arteta, outwitting him tactically on numerous occasions.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal will thus be worth watching for the neutral, with two top coaches going head to head in a contest involving first place and third.
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