Arsenal have felt the hot breath of Manchester City on their necks and blinked first.
Mikel Arteta’s title chasers headed to Brentford knowing victory would restore their six point cushion at the Premier League summit. Instead, they served up a jittery, unconvincing display and were lucky to escape with a 1-1 draw after Keane Lewis Potter’s bullet header cancelled out Noni Madueke’s opener.
City’s 3-0 stroll against Fulham on Wednesday had already cut the gap to three. Now, after this latest slip, it’s down to ONE point. The Gunners have played a game more. The pressure gauge is flashing red.
Bees Buzzing, Gunners Gasping
Brentford were the better side in the first half. Let’s be honest about that. Arsenal were second best, second to every loose ball, and looked nervy from the off. David Raya had to produce a sharp stop to deny Igor Thiago. The home fans were scenting blood.
Then, against the run of play, Arsenal nicked it. Piero Hincapie’s ball in, Madueke rising above Rico Henry, a clever header back across goal and into the net. Textbook. Game management time.
Except Arsenal don’t do game management. Not when it really matters.
Within ten minutes, they were undone. A long throw. A flick on. Lewis Potter, all desire and determination, flinging himself at the ball to power a header into the top corner. Set piece goal conceded. Again. Questions for Arteta. Again.
“We Have to Respond”
Arteta cut a frustrated figure afterwards. “We had control after the goal but we gave them momentum with a poor reaction,” he said. “In these moments, you have to be ruthless. We weren’t.”
He’s not wrong. This was the chance to put real daylight between themselves and the chasing pack. Instead, they’ve invited City right onto their shoulder. Pep Guardiola’s men now scent blood. They’ve been here before. Arsenal, famously, have not.
Brentford Dreaming of Europe
For Keith Andrews’ side, this was another statement. Seventh in the table, four points off Chelsea in fifth, five behind United in fourth. European football genuine, proper European footbal is suddenly a very real possibility for a club who’ve never experienced it.
Lewis Potter embodied everything about this Brentford side: relentless, brave, technically sound. They deserved their point. On another night, against a more rattled Arsenal, they might have taken all three.
What Now?
Arsenal: 57 points from 26 games. City: 56 from 25. The fixtures don’t get easier Wolves away, Spurs away, Chelsea at home. The narrative, as ever, circles back to that familiar question: do these players have the nerve to go the distance?
Arteta insists they do. But the evidence, right now, suggests otherwise. This was supposed to be the year they learned from past collapses. Instead, the same old script is writing itself.
City visit the Etihad in April. By then, the gap might already be gone.
