Arsenal's Glaring Weakness Exposed as Gunners Struggle Against Brentford - Player Ratings Reveal All

Arsenal stumbled in a crucial examination of their Premier League championship ambitions on Thursday evening, settling for a 1–1 stalemate against Brentford after failing to generate sufficient quality to merit a better result.

The Gunners struggled during the opening period and appeared lacking in creative solutions. The beginning of the second half showed at least temporary improvement, setting the stage for Noni Madueke to nod Mikel Arteta's side into the lead.

However, that spell of Arsenal control was brief and Brentford reacted positively to going behind. The Bees equalized 10 minutes afterward, utilizing their aerial delivery expertise as Keane Lewis-Potter netted a header following a deflection.

Ultimately, it appeared Arsenal were clinging to a single point rather than pursuing victory, and Brentford might view this as two points lost given their late momentum.

The advantage at the summit of the Premier League standings has been reduced from six points to four since the weekend.

One Thing We Can't Ignore

One Thing We Can't Ignore

With Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard both starting the match on the substitutes' bench following late fitness evaluations, Kai Havertz ruled out completely and Mikel Merino sidelined long-term, the absence of overall creativity from Arsenal was concerning.

The Gunners invested approximately £120 million ($163.5 million) to acquire Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke last summer and, until the latter emerged with an unexpected breakthrough header, neither player provided the offensive flair anticipated for such significant expenditure.

Neither generated a single opportunity in the opening half, accumulating 0.05 in expected assists (xA) combined, with no attempts on or off target. The resulting impact was Viktor Gyökeres being deprived of service in open play, with the Swedish striker also failing to record an effort.

Eze was substituted at the interval as Arteta opted for Ødegaard instead. The club skipper connected play much more effectively and it was only following a significantly improved start to the second period that Arsenal took the lead. Nevertheless, Madueke's goal perhaps conceals his otherwise minimal contribution.

Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Brentford (4-2-3-1)

Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Brentford (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings provided by Fotmob*

GK: David Raya—7.9: Required alertness to deny Igor Thiago's first-half header.

RB: Jurriën Timber—6.6: Handled the ball frequently but Hincapié on the opposite flank was more productive with possession.

CB: Cristhian Mosquera—7.2: Completed multiple clearances when Brentford launched their aerial assault in the second half. An excellent recovery in added time stopped Thiago from securing victory.

CB: Gabriel (c)—7.6: Began the match uncertainly with an errant back pass, then received a booking after just 20 minutes for a mistimed challenge. He composed himself and commanded the defense effectively.

LB: Piero Hincapié—8.1: Impressive display along the left wing. Consistently willing to advance and was rewarded by creating the opening goal, while also remaining defensively solid.

CM: Martín Zubimendi—6.6: Lacked the dominance that might be anticipated. Touched the ball significantly less than his midfield colleague.

CM: Declan Rice—7.8: Engaged in an entertaining duel with Brentford's Yehor Yarmolyuk. Typically reliable in both defensive and attacking phases.

RM: Noni Madueke—7.9: Inconsistent throughout his debut season as an Arsenal player. Appeared destined for disappointment until emerging for the second half with greater purpose. Merits recognition for his defensive work rate.

AM: Eberechi Eze—6.0: Supporters will wonder how his influence was so minimal. Did not continue after halftime and must contribute significantly more.

LM: Leandro Trossard—7.2: Appeared a more natural danger than any of Arsenal's other attacking quartet.

ST: Viktor Gyökeres—6.4: Had little service to work with. Completed the match without a single attempt.

SUB: Martin Ødegaard (46' for Eze) —6.4: Introduced at halftime for his first outing since January. His arrival momentarily seemed to ignite something Arsenal had been lacking. Short of match fitness?

SUB: Bukayo Saka (70' for Madueke) —6.0: Barely featured, which may reflect fitness concerns.

SUB: Riccardo Calafiori (81' for Hincapié) —N/A: Direct replacement at left back.

SUB: Gabriel Martinelli (81' for Trossard) —N/A: Wasted a late opportunity with a heavy touch

Subs not used: Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK), Ben White, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Christian Nørgaard, Gabriel Jesus.

What the Ratings Tell Us

What the Ratings Tell Us

The Numbers That Explain Arsenal's Lack of Output

The Numbers That Explain Arsenal's Lack of Output