Arsenal return to Brentford this weekend in the Premier League for the first time since their 2-0 loss to the Bees on the opening day of the 21/22 season, and it’s safe to say quite a lot has happened since then.
Mikel Arteta’s side eventually finished fifth that term and narrowly missed out on UEFA Champions League football with the Gunners starting this season with five wins on the trot, placing them top of the standings for the time being, whilst Brentford blew expectations out of the water and claimed top-flight safety with relative ease whilst also starting this campaign in good form.
- 4 strikers Arsenal almost signed, including record breaking marksman
- 3 ways exciting Eredivisie attacker could change Arteta’s Arsenal
With neither side playing since the first weekend of September, both squads will be full-refreshed and gearing up for a big result against their London rivals, yet for Arsenal, there will be an extra push to get a result against Brentford given what happened last season.
The Gunners were out-played that opening day and lost 2-0 against the newly-promoted side, and here at HITC Sport, we will look at the starting XI from that night to show just how far Arsenal have come since that loss in west London.
Leno, Chambers and Mari start in alien-looking Arsenal backline
When we said Arsenal’s XI had changed quite a bit, we were not kidding, and the backline is easily the most transformed area of the entire pitch since the Gunners’ loss to Brentford in the Premier League, with just two of the five players still at the club this season.
Ben White started in his league debut after a £50m transfer from Brighton & Hove Albion alongside Pablo Mari and Calum Chambers, and to say the England international struggled would have been an understatement, with the defender being beaten in the air from a Brentford throw-in resulting in a goal.
Whilst Kieran Tierney is still at Arsenal, the arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko this summer has made the Scotland international Arteta’s second-choice left-back, a decision that could actually work well in the defender’s favour given his injury record, with Bernd Leno not settling for this role as the keeper left for Fulham this summer.
Lokonga and Xhaka struggle in first Premier League game together
Granit Xhaka enjoyed arguably his best ever season for Arsenal last campaign as the Swiss international established himself as one of Arteta’s most important players and a phenomenal counterpart to the likes of Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard, however, last August, things could not have been more different.
The midfielder was viewed by many as a player who had to leave, and with links of a move to AS Roma pestering all summer, the majority of supporters were left fuming when Xhaka opted to stay and sign a contract extension, a decision so contentious that Arsenal never actually officially announced it.
As well as White, Albert Sambi Lokonga made his Premier League debut as well for Arsenal against Brentford, yet despite being viewed by many as the club’s best player over pre-season, the young Belgian failed to make his mark against the Bees, being completely over-ran in the midfield alongside Xhaka.
Pepe draws a blank as Balogun makes first and only league start
The story heading into this game was the Covid-19 outbreak within the Arsenal squad that meant Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Willian were all out for this fixture, meaning that Hale End academy star Folarina Balogun was given his first, and so far only, Premier League start for the Gunners.
With Emile Smith Rowe in his new no. 10 shirt playing in the hole and Nicolas Pepe and Gabriel Martinelli out on the wings, the attacking-four for Arsenal, on paper at least, was quite a good mix of experience and youth, yet despite this, the Gunners were woeful in front of goal against Brentford.
Despite having an astonishing 22 shots, only four managed to hit the target, with these efforts being easily saved by Brentford’s keeper David Raya, who wouldn’t have an easier game at home for Brentford since arguably the Bees’ recent 4-0 win against Manchester United this season.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
