Arsenal's Title Dreams Crumble Again: Three Critical Takeaways From Their Latest Collapse
Imagine how different the story would have been if Gabriel Martinelli had managed to chip his shot over the advancing Caoimhín Kelleher. We would be celebrating Arsenal's opportunistic victory at Brentford; a result showcasing their title-winning credentials.
Instead, the Brazilian's attempt was blocked by the ex-Liverpool keeper, preventing the Gunners from securing a win they hardly merited. Brentford delivered an outstanding performance on Thursday evening, restricting their visitors in a manner that very few teams have managed since Mikel Arteta transformed his squad from top-four aspirants into consistent championship challengers.
The 1–1 stalemate leaves Arsenal with merely a four-point advantage and 12 matches remaining. The Gunners have wasted several chances to put this title race to bed in 2026, yet they continue to provide a struggling Manchester City side with renewed optimism.
Losing points at the Gtech Community Stadium isn't unusual for the league's elite clubs, but it was Arsenal's manner of play that would have worried many supporters before the crucial final stretch.
Here are three key takeaways from Thursday evening's captivating deadlock.
1. Missing Kai Havertz Proves Costly
Kai Havertz had made an impressive comeback following his extended knee injury layoff at the year's beginning, but the German suffered another fitness blow before Thursday's encounter.
Havertz is anticipated to remain sidelined throughout February due to a muscular problem, and based on Arsenal's display in west London, he represents a crucial player Arteta cannot spare during decisive moments.
Though Mikel Merino successfully covered for Havertz's absence during the season's opening half, the Spaniard is also unavailable after undergoing foot surgery. Consequently, Arteta gave Eberechi Eze an uncommon Premier League start in the attacking midfielder position, while Viktor Gyökeres returned to the first eleven as striker.
The Swedish forward came into the match with solid scoring form, but he continues to be painful to watch for viewers. Apart from the clever lifted pass to Jurriën Timber in added time, which created Martinelli's golden opportunity, there was minimal creativity and link-up play. The awkward, ungainly striker was easily contained by Sepp van den Berg, with Gyökeres finishing the evening with 47% pass accuracy from merely 17 attempts and 29 touches, the lowest among all starting players—according to FotMob.
Gyökeres possesses a powerful shot, but he's far from being a championship-caliber striker. There are simply too many weaknesses that are unlikely to improve at this point in his career. He is what he is, and opposing teams, recognizing this, don't need to dedicate nearly as much focus to him as they might have earlier in the season, thereby limiting Arsenal's overall attacking threat.
Havertz's knack for finding space in the penalty area, winning physical battles, and pressing effectively is greatly missed. Arsenal urgently require his return in March.
2. "Special Moments" Creator Falls Short
With Havertz sidelined and Martin Ødegaard nursing a minor muscle strain during the week, Arteta granted £67.5 million ($91.9 million) summer signing Eze his first start since December 13.
Following his dream transfer, Arteta praised the English creative midfielder, who led Crystal Palace's FA Cup triumph at last season's end, as someone who could produce "special moments" to enhance his team's attacking options.
However, Eze has proven to be largely a single-game sensation. Admittedly, he did deliver his finest performance on a major stage—the North London Derby—but Tottenham were woeful under Thomas Frank. Since that match, Eze has contributed to just one Arsenal goal across all competitions, which came against Bayern Munich merely three days after the derby. He's been invisible for an extended period.
This pattern continued on Thursday night. Eze drifted through the game lacking purpose. The playmaker was part of a sluggish first line of pressure that granted Brentford ease in their build-up play, and he rarely appeared inspired when in possession. Few would have noticed his involvement in the opening half, and Arteta turned to his captain for motivation after halftime.
Eze was considered among the missing elements who would finally push Arsenal over the finish line when he joined last summer, but the Gunners have succeeded this season despite their major attacking acquisitions.
It was nothing less than what the home team earned, with Arsenal restricted to just four corner kicks and Brentford handling that danger with comparative comfort. They've allowed only four set-piece goals in league play all season, and their physical approach when chances arose to crowd the box prompted sarcastic protests to referee John Brooks from the frustrated David Raya.
3. Experiencing Their Own Strategy
Statistical data from Opta reveals Arsenal top the Premier League with 15 set-piece goals this campaign, and over 30% of their total strikes have originated from dead-ball scenarios—the fourth-highest percentage in the division.
The Gunners' apparent dependence on set-pieces has drawn criticism from jealous rival fans, who have begun viewing Arteta's team as the opposite of what a commanding champion should represent.
"Set-piece again, ole, ole!" Arsenal supporters proudly sing in response, but such chants were absent from the visiting section on Thursday night. Instead, the Gunners fell victim to Brentford's specialized weapon.
Michael Kayode's powerful throw-ins make anything Rory Delap once delivered seem remarkably mild. The former Fiorentina defender is enjoying an outstanding campaign, and his touchline ability has only strengthened the Bees' long-throw threat.
Since October 2022, Brentford have netted more than twice as many goals from long throws as any other Premier League club. Their equalizer against Arsenal, which saw Sepp van den Berg redirect Kayode's delivery for Keane Lewis-Potter at the far post, marked their 13th such goal in that timeframe.
It was nothing less than what the home side merited, with Arsenal limited to merely four corner opportunities and Brentford neutralizing that danger with relative simplicity. They've surrendered only four set-piece goals in league action all season, and their robust tactics when opportunities emerged to pack the penalty area drew ironic objections to referee John Brooks from the agitated David Raya.
Perhaps Keith Andrews' team are the genuine set-piece specialists?