Arsenal returned to the top of the league with a dominant display thanks to goals from William Saliba, Gabriel Jesus and Fábio Vieira
Updated
Sun 18 Sep 2022 09.10 EDT
First published on Sun 18 Sep 2022 06.00 EDT
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Which means that we’re done here. But as below, we’ve plenty going on for your delectation, so enjoy that and the rest of the weekend. Peace out.
And here’s Nick Ames’ match report.
“Arsenal have not been ‘outclassed’ by United whatsoever,” fumes Matthieu de Vallavieille. “They were significantly better than them for about three quarters of the game. United were just really good on the counter, Eriksen constantly picking up the right pass. Arsenal tend to suffer against counter-attacking outfits, like Tottenham and Man United.”
I’m not sure about that. United were “better”, I thought, prior to the disallowed goal, and I’m not sure you can say Arsenal were “better” once they were 3-1 down. I guess I also tend measure “better” in goals, think the first one came about after a decent passing move that pulled Arsenal about, not on the break, and that United’s defending was “better” for more or less the full 90. But I do agree Arsenal played well in the middle period of the game.
Wish I’d known Paul Hartley was manager of Hartlepool when he actually was. Is JR Hartley available?
BREAKING! Hartlepool have confirmed they have parted company with manager Paul Hartley. pic.twitter.com/g1xMkEgws8
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 18, 2022
Sky show Vieira’s goal again and Jamie Redknapp says “Patrick would be proud of that one.” He really does.
And also going on.
Comin atcha:
Who told Fabio Vieiera his goatee looks smart? Excelllent work, whoever it was.
Full-time: Brentford 0-3 Arsenal
Arsenal go back to the top of the table! They’ve given Brentford a proper doing without really playing that well – not because they couldn’t but because they didn’t have to – and look a proper outfit. Brentford are alright too, but today, they were rank.
90+4 min And currently, he has cramp, but Don Goodman declares him player of the match, and rightly so. He’s not been brilliant because he hasn’t needed to be, but his movement has set the tone.
90+3 min “There are lots of teams this season which I have no clue where will end up,” advises Kári Tulinius. “Arsenal are another. They’ve looked so superior to teams expected to end up below them in the table, but when they played Manchester United, they were outclassed. If that game was an aberration, they could challenge for the title, if not, the Europa League beckons.”
I don’t think they’ll challenge for the title, but on the other hand, they can afford to lose the occasional game as they did to United and still do so because they’ve got good at beating all the teams they should. If Jesus stays fit, you never know.
90+2 min Here he comes! Nwaneri replaces Vieira, and Marquinhos, a sage 19, also makes his debut, coming on fro Saka.” “He’s only 15, Ethan Nwaneri, he’s only 15” sing the away end.
90 min There’ll be four added minutes.
90 min Jesus trips Hickey and is booked, for the fourth time this season. One more in the next nine games and he’s suspended.
89 min Ah this is great. Ethan Manweri, 15-years-old and born in 2007, is going to become the youngest player to play in the Premier League (if the ball goes out of play before full-time). Go on lad!
89 min Arsenal knock it about as Brentford do nothing.
87 min Goodness me Brentford have been a study in abjectivity today, and almost concede a fourth goal when Jesus, near the by-line down the left, wins possession from a snoozing defender, forces through a second wimpish challenge, and punches a low side-footer that Raya shoves away.
86 min Tomiyasu continues his comeback from injury, replacing White; his “Super Tom” song, sun as he takes to the pitch, is surely one of football’s worst in its every iteration.
85 min “Fulham finish the day above both Chelsea and Brentford,” notes the entirely ambivalent Richard Hirst. “Joy unconfined in West London.”
I can’t lie, I’m staggered by how well Fulham are doing. I’ve not a clue who’s going down this term, because previously I’d have bet everything on them taking one of the spots.
83 min Ramsdale has a knock so takes his time over a goalkick; Pontus Jansson has the audacity to complain that he’s timewasting, like Brentford haven’t been hopelessly outclassed for 83 minutes and are on the cusp of a famous comeback.
82 min “When I moved to the US,” says Gregory Phillips, “I started watching college soccer. There’s a clock on the scoreboard and it stops every time the ball goes out of play or the ref blows his whistle. Then, when time is up, it’s up. At first I hated this approach but I’ve grown to love it. Didn’t add more than 20 minutes to the whole affair, and it dispenses with the absurd subjectivity of injury time. Not that it’ll ever catch on.”
I’ve been bitching about this for years, and I agree that this is all it’ll take.
80 min Damsgaard swingS in a free-kick from the left and when there’s a scramble in the box, the ref gives a penalty for a foul on Toney, only for the linesman to signal for offside from the initial cross.
78 min I like Nketiah, who’s a really useful weapon for Arsenal to have. His all-round game has improved a lot in the last year or so, but more than that, he has a goalscorer’s intelligence, making him a great option to have.
78 min Aha, there is it. Lokonga replaces Partey and Nketiah comes on for Martinelli.
77 min Time elapses.
76 min Brentford send on Wissa for Mbuemo.
75 min Partey slides a ball in behind for Saka, but puts too much on it. I thought Partey might’ve been removed early doors, given he’s been out, but Lokonga, his obvious replacement, is still sitting at the side.
74 min Arsenal knock it about and Brentford let them, until Onyeka fouls Martinelli. Then they knock it about some more.
72 min I was wrong – it was Brentford’s first shot on target since the fifth minute. On which point, Damsgaard looks bright, and I’d not be surprised to see him start at Bournemouth after the international break.
71 min Meantime, Damsgaard runs in behind and someone, I’m not sure who, slides a pass into the space. But Ramsdale advances well, spreading himself and blocking what I think is Brentford’s first shot on target.
70 min There’s a minute’s applause for the Queen.
70 min Arsenal restart play with a throw deep inside the Brentford half, and Gabriel, well forward, screams for the ball, letting go a decent shot that flies not too far over the bar.
69 min Jensen either can’t continue, or it’s decided there’s no point in him continuing; Baptiste replaces him.
68 min An unscheduled drinks break, Jensen banging his knee and taking treatment. Brentford could use a few.
66 min The away end cycles through its songbook, singing for Rocky Rocastle and about titles won at White Hart Lane – I’ve no skin in this game, but it is kind of funny they’ve done that as often than Spurs have – as Saka opens his body and shoots from 20 yards, Raya plunging right to shove away.
64 min Damsgaard moves away from Partey and sticks a pass into the space behind the Arsenal defence, but Saliba is wise to the ruse, easing onto the gas and taking it away from Toney.
63 min Two changes for Brentford, Damsgaard and Onyeka replacing Janelt and Dasilva. That should sort it.
62 min I like the look of Saliba, I must say. Gabriel, I think, will always be a way away from proper – though he’s still decent – and I wonder if, when Tomiyasu is fit, he’ll lose his place to White. Saliba, though, has excellent raw materials and a lot of time to improve when he’s already pretty useful.
61 min Brentford win the flick following the corner, but Saliba clears then, when the ball comes back, does so again.
60 min Brentford move down the left, Jensen, who’s been the best of an atrocious bunch, seeing his cross slid behind by Xhaka.
59 min Brentford try and counter, but Xhaka fouls Raya, of course he does, and is booked, of course he is.
59 min “Arsenal have been class,” muses PF, and he’s right – the ease with which they’ve carved Brentford apart, without going wild, has been extremely impressive, and I doubt the’ve finished scoring.
57 min This is so easy for Arsenal, and another fine move, the ball moved from side to side, suddenly speeds up when Jesus, down the left, fired a pass into Xhaka who, on the stretch, directs a fine return into space. Jesus chases onto it and number four looks likely, but Raya stands up as long as he can to block the eventuating shot.
56 min Jensen appears to clatter Partey from behind, but a replay shows that he actually slipped into him, which is presumably why he avoids a caution.
54 min “Daniel, if I made the effort to wake up at 4am to watch this match,” says Mary Waltz, “Brentford could at least pretend to try to win. All credit to Arsenal but gawd the Bees look atrocious.”
Agree. They owe you sleep, open and shut case.
53 min And Jensen rolls it back to him; he flicks up, Le Tiss-style, and whacks over the bar. One day, though, someone is just going leather a low one with their laces, with no intention of scoring but with every intention of knacking the draft excluder lying behind the wall.
51 min But now have a free-kick just outside the box. I’m not sure what it was for, but a replay shows that when they went to stick a free-kick from out wide into the box, Martinelli dragged back Mee. But before we can proceed, there’s a conference on the edge of the D, led by Toney.
51 min Brentford have been absolutely rotten today.
WHAT A GOAL! Brentford 0-3 Arsenal (Vieira 49)
Again, Arsenal move the ball under no pressure, Saka finding Vieira 25 yards out and left of centre. No one’s arsed to close him down, so he has a look, swings his left foot with minimum effort and maximum prejudice, and marks his full debut by clumping a gloooorious drive in off the near post! Arsenal are going back to the top of the league!
49 min This looks a lot like what we just watched, Arsenal again dominating possession.