Second-half goals from Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka were enough to seal an important victory for Arsenal against Brentford. The win against the Bees on Saturday was viewed as revenge for the 2-0 defeat in the season opener and allowed the Gunners to stay in the hunt for a top-four finish at the end of the season.

Though the position in the Premier League table remains unchanged for the Gunners, they are now within 4 points of top-four with 3 games in hand. Moreover, they are level on points with fifth-placed West Ham despite playing 3 games less. As for the Bees, survival is feasible provided they repeat performances of the 1st half of the season.

However, a 2-1 win for the North London side was not that comforting considering the amount of possession they had. The first half saw just attacks but zero conversion while the second half was built more on defence energising the offence. Let us go through the four lessons that we learnt from the Arsenal vs Brentford game.

Signing off with a smile… 👋

😀 @Biel_M04
😀 @BukayoSaka87 #ARSBRE pic.twitter.com/go6FNbZyiK

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 19, 2022

1. Top Quality Finishing Required At The Emirates

Arteta’s men dominated the first half with 80% possession. They registered 16 shots in the first period but only 2 were on target. The Gunners need to cross the ball with the intent of scoring goals. They managed to do that on one occasion which Lacazette headed in, but it was ruled offside.

🎯 @LacazetteAlex
⚽️ @EmileSmithRowe

A MOTM performance from ESR 👏 #ARSBRE pic.twitter.com/Ft5EjAXKL7

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 20, 2022

It’s a widely known fact that Arsenal are looking to sign a prolific striker in the summer transfer window. They went after Fiorentina’s Vlahovic but the Serbian joined Juventus. Nevertheless, to salvage this season and qualify for the Champions League next season, the players need to finish the chances created.

2. Absence of Martinelli and Tomiyasu

Gabriel Martinelli and Takehiro Tomiyasu weren’t available for the Arsenal vs Brentford game. The Brazilian was serving a suspension for a red card in the previous game against Wolves while Tomiyasu was not “100% fit” for the match. Emile Smith Rowe and Cedric Soares replaced them in the lineup.

Emile Smith Rowe is in for the suspended Martinelli.

Tomiyasu is named amongst the substitutes.

🚨 https://t.co/cckOHhGs0b#AFC #BrentfordFC pic.twitter.com/j56yjrIE5z

— Ben Dinnery (@BenDinnery) February 19, 2022

Although ESR and Cedric did play well, the energy was missing. Especially in the Brazilian’s absence, the Gunners were relying more on the right side of the field. However, the Japanese’s absence was clearly felt during attacks from the right flank as Cedric couldn’t impose himself. No disrespect, but the team felt more balanced with Martinelli and Tomiyasu.

3. Odegaard’s Impact On Arsenal Offense Against Brentford

The Norwegian was instrumental with his vision and passing. He created multiple chances for the forwards to score, but as mentioned earlier, top quality finishing was missing.

Odegaard will certainly feel unlucky not to finish in the top 5 assist makers in the Premier League this season, given the kind of performances he has been offering for the Gunners. He has shown great control on the ball and is the centrepiece of Arteta’s attack.

4. The Refereeing and VAR Calls Affects Arsenal

Yes, this could be a subjective point and everyone feels “biased” when it comes to bad refereeing. To be fair, the Gunners had several appeals for handball and rough tackles denied by the on-field referee. Nevertheless, Arsenal still managed to get all 3 points against Brentford.

Read More:

• Bright 1st half, Productive 2nd Half – ESR and Saka on the Scoresheet | How Arsenal Players Fared Against Brentford
• Where Does William Saliba Fit in Into Mikel Arteta’s Team?
• Five Underrated Midfield Players Arsenal Can Target In The Summer Transfer Window

5. Xhaka Refusing the Captain’s Armband

Xhaka’s refusal to wear the armband was a shocker for many. It was a slight blemish on an exciting night. This incident has fuelled some backdoor controversies, but hopefully, all will get sorted out soon. The Swiss international is currently a mainstay in midfield and his partnership with Partey is flourishing with each game.

Hope the Gunners can build on this victory. What do you think of the Gunners’ performance on Saturday? What is your opinion on the ratings given for the game?

Follow AD for the latest Matchday updates on Arsenal.