Wissa goal denies Arsenal as Brentford snatch late draw at Emirates

Yoane Wissa scored a late goal in the second half to earn Brentford a 1-1 draw against Arsenal in a Premier League encounter that leaves the Gunners 10 points adrift of leaders Liverpool.

Coming off a stunning 3-0 Champions League quarter-final first-leg win over holders Real Madrid in midweek, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made five changes to his starting XI, clearly prioritising next week’s second leg in the Spanish capital.

Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, Jurrien Timber, Mikel Merino, and Myles Lewis-Skelly were all rested, and the lack of rhythm showed.

The Emirates crowd, still buzzing from Tuesday night’s heroics, were met with a lacklustre display as both sides struggled for quality. The game’s first shot on target came in the 20th minute when Brentford’s Kristoffer Ajer forced a save from David Raya after being played through by Bryan Mbeumo.

Gunners fail to capitalise on title race opportunity

Despite their European momentum, Arsenal couldn’t translate that into domestic dominance. Thomas Partey eventually broke the deadlock in the second half, but Wissa’s equaliser ensured Brentford left north London with a deserved point.

The draw leaves Arsenal second on the table and 10 points behind Liverpool, who face West Ham on Sunday with a game in hand. With only seven matches left, the Reds now need just nine points to clinch a record-equalling 20th English league title — and their first since 2020.

Arsenal hopes for Champions League success

With Arsenal unlikely to catch Liverpool, the Gunners appear destined for a third consecutive runners-up finish in the league. Arteta’s selection choices and squad rotation reflect a shift in focus to the Champions League, where the club is chasing its first-ever triumph in the competition.

Gabriel Martinelli was the standout in a quiet first half, testing Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken early on. But the match never reached the emotional or technical heights of Arsenal’s European night earlier in the week, ending in an anti-climactic stalemate at the Emirates.