Arsenal had to settle for a 1-1 draw at home against Brentford on Saturday, as Yoane Wissa’s brilliant finish left Liverpool just three wins away from securing the Premier League title.
The hosts appeared to experience a slight hangover from their commanding 3-0 Champions League quarterfinal first-leg win over Real Madrid earlier in the week. They struggled to break down a disciplined Brentford side in the first half.
Arsenal took the lead early in the second half when Thomas Partey netted shortly after the hour mark, following an excellent assist from Declan Rice, the star of their Real Madrid victory with two goals.
However, Brentford quickly equalized in the 74th minute as Wissa finished superbly with a hooked shot.
With Arsenal failing to mount a significant challenge for a late winner, the draw left them in second place, while Liverpool, who were set to face struggling West Ham United the next day, remained 10 points ahead with a game in hand. Meanwhile, Brentford rose to 11th in the standings.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made several changes, keeping an eye on the upcoming second leg in Madrid, as their European ambitions began to take precedence over the title race, given Liverpool’s commanding position.
This draw marked Arsenal’s 12th league stalemate of the season.
The first half was flat, with Kieran Tierney’s header ruled out after a VAR review, which used the new semi-automated offside technology. Brentford had the best chance of the first period, but Kristoffer Ajer’s effort was saved by David Raya.
Rice’s brilliance led to Arsenal’s breakthrough goal, as he carried the ball from one end to the other, setting up Partey.
Rice has been involved in 16 goals across all competitions this season, seven goals and nine assists—matching his best return in a single campaign.
Despite being a strong team on set-pieces, Arsenal conceded from one at the other end, with Wissa scoring his 15th league goal of the season past Raya.
Arteta’s side have dropped 16 points from winning positions this season, one less than the total from the previous two campaigns, severely damaging their title challenge.
