Arsenal looked pretty solid at home against Brentford. The forward movements and passing were well connected for most of the game but, it took 48 minutes to break the Bees defence. The deadlock was broken when Emile Smith Rowe slotted home by cutting inside from the left. Saka doubled the lead for Arsenal, while Brentford were able to pull one back in stoppage time to make the final scoreline 2-1.

The Gunners had more than a week’s rest for the game and it was certain that the players were full of energy. The eagerness to take revenge for the early season defeat and urgency to move up the Premier League table motivated the players to go head-on. The scoreline would have been more dreadful for the Bees, but Lacazette’s goal was ruled offside and some of the opportunities were not finished properly in the end.

Arsenal had ample possession in the first half. Blocked shots, denial of penalty by the referee and good defensive interventions from the opponents made the Gunners wait till the second half. The half-time discussions paid off as Smith Rowe opened the scoring by drilling in a low shot into the bottom right corner of the net.

Bukayo Saka doubled the lead for the hosts in the 79th minute. The youngster collected Partey’s through ball and calmly finished off the move. Christian Norgaard did score one for the visitors, but it was too late for them to make further attempts.

🤔 Want to watch it all again?

🍿 Of course you do!#ARSBRE | Match highlights 📺 pic.twitter.com/CaY5T25PtY

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 19, 2022

Mikel Arteta’s top scorers, ESR and Saka featured on the scoresheet while top assist maker Lacazette also added one to his tally. All in all, the plan worked out pretty well on Saturday. Let us take a look at how Arsenal players fared against Brentford.

Arsenal Player Ratings Against Brentford

Aaron Ramsdale (GK) – 6.5: Change in personnel in between the sticks from their previous outing against the Bees. Ramsdale had very little to do defensively, but he made his presence felt with his distribution. An unfortunate goal to concede for the shot-stopper.

Cedric Soares (RB) – 7: A win highlights the positives for any player and the same goes for Soares. Although he played well, making good long passes, sometimes, couldn’t even complete a 5-yard pass. He did make up for his shortcomings with some good defensive display.

Ben White (CB) – 7: Ben White seemed relieved to have better-performing midfielders and a solid central partner in the backline. A different Arsenal lineup against Brentford benefited him the most. He made good interceptions as well as forward passes in the game. Although not much impactful, White did perform his duties well.

Gabriel Magalhaes (CB) – 7.5: Fans have gotten used to seeing misplaced passes from the Brazilian. But, it’s his aerial proficiency and prowess that gives him the edge over others. He was solid with the interceptions and disrupted the flow of the opponent’s attacks.

Kieran Tierney (LB) – 8.5: Tierney’s overlapping run allowed Smith Rowe the space to cut inside and score his ninth goal of the season in the Premier League. The intelligent Scot was good at clearing up the occasional defensive lapses. The absence of Martinelli might have halted his forward runs, but no questions on his defensive display.

Emile Smith Rowe (LAM) – 8: It was a great performance for the young attacking midfielder as he made his second start in 8 Premier League games. His “moments of brilliance” were awarded with a goal. His performances will be a nice “headache” for matchday selections.

During Saturday's 2-1 win over Brentford, Emile Smith-Rowe scored @Arsenal 's 600th goal at the Emirates Stadium!#AFC | #COYG pic.twitter.com/cBHNVfijHB

— DJ 💫 (@afchive) February 21, 2022

Thomas Partey (CM) – 7: Near perfect game for the Ghana international. Though his decisions in the final third were questionable, he can enjoy the good rating courtesy of the defensive plays and interceptions.

Granit Xhaka (CM) – 6.5: Xhaka was not 100% during Saturday’s game. His passing was not clean and he also played more defensively than usual. Nevertheless, he controlled the centre of the field.

Bukayo Saka (RAM) – 8.5: A Man of the Match performance by the young lad. Though he scored only a single goal, he was a constant threat to the opposition. He made several attempts, but unfortunately, had to wait till the 79th minute to find the back of the net.

Bukayo Saka doubles Arsenal's lead against Brentford.

Mikel Arteta's side climbing the table. 🧗‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/7aT58zVWDa

— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) February 19, 2022

Martin Odegaard (CAM) – 7.5: Again a good performance from the Norwegian international. His passes to Lacazette and the other distributions and link-ups were very effective.

Alexandre Lacazette (ST) – 5.5: The Frenchman added another assist to his tally, however, he failed to feature on the scoresheet. He did score in the first half but it was ruled offside. Other than the assist, it was not much of an inspirational display from Lacazette.

Read More:

• The Gunners Record Second Straight Win | Tactical Analysis and Match Review
• Analysing How Martin Odegaard Has Been So Good This Season
• Five Underrated Midfield Players Arsenal can Target in the Summer Transfer Window

Substitutes:

Nicolas Pepe (6): Great plays off the bench. His trickery caused problems for the Brentford defenders and even could have scored a goal. A much lively performance from him.

Eddie Nketiah (NA): Came on for Lacazette in the 84th min. He had very little to do in the game.

Do you agree with the given player ratings for the Arsenal vs Brentford game? Let us know your opinions in the comments section below.

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