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Arsenal defeated Brentford 3-0 in the Premier League on Sunday, September 18. The win takes them to the top of the table with 18 points, one ahead of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.
Brentford came into this game having earned 10 points from their first six games of the season. They won two, drew three and lost one game, scoring 15 goals in the process. Thomas Frank's men were eager to replicate their performance from last season at home against the Gunners as they won 3-0 on the opening day.
Arsenal, on the other hand, won five and lost one of their opening six games. They were third in the table prior to kick-off with 16 points. Martin Odegaard and Oleksandr Zinchenko missed out due to injuries. Mikel Arteta fielded a strong lineup in a bid to climb back to the top of the table.
Arsenal made a good start to the game, passing the ball sharply and keeping Brentford's defenders occupied with their movement. The hosts met them with great physicality, putting in tough challenges to impose themselves on the game. However, the visitors were the first team on the scoreboard.
Bukayo Saka delivered a cross towards the near post from a corner-kick. William Saliba met it and sent the ball looping over goalkeeper David Raya. It bounced off the left upright and appeared to have crossed the line. The referee confirmed it by following a signal on his watch as Arsenal led 1-0 after 17 minutes.
The Gunners doubled their just nine minutes later with another header. Granit Xhaka played a chipped pass over Brentford's defense. Gabriel Jesus was alert to it and met it with a thumping header that fizzed past Raya. Ben Mee's positioning was suspect as he appeared to step forward without communicating with his teammates.
Brentford managed just one shot on target in the first half as Arsenal kept 64% possession and dominated proceedings. The teams went into the break with the visitors leading 2-0.
Arsenal began the second half with high intensity play and added a third goal within five minutes of the restart. Bukayo Saka drove down the right flank with the ball and played it infield to Fabio Vieira. The latter controlled the ball and unleashed a bending strike into the bottom-right corner to make it 3-0. It was Vieira's first goal for the club on his full debut.
Gabriel Martinelli and Granit Xhaka committed a few silly fouls and gave away free-kicks in dangerous areas. Brentford looked to exploit these set-piece situations with Ivan Toney and Pontus Jansson's towering presence. However, Arsenal did well to defend the ball into the box and thwart the hosts' attempts.
Thomas Frank made several changes as he looked to add energy to his team. However, Arsenal were composed and remained in control of the situation. Mikel Arteta handed a debut to 15-year-old Ethan Nwaneri, who made history by becoming the youngest player to play in the Premier League. Liverpool's Harvey Elliott held the previous record during his Fulham days.
The Gunners held onto their 3-0 lead and saw the game off with relative ease. That said, let's take a look at how their players performed.
Arsenal Player Ratings
Aaron Ramsdale - 7/10
Ramsdale was seldom tested as Arsenal played most of their football in Brentford's half. However, he made two saves from the hosts' only shots on target and kept a clean sheet.
Ben White - 7/10
White was an injury doubt before the game but was cleared to play during the week. He put in a good performance and made darting runs forward to offer his side extra width. He won four of his seven duels, making three clearances and two interceptions.
William Saliba - 7.5/10
Saliba started the game really well and showed his aerial prowess with a header to score his second goal of the season. He won four of his six duels, making two clearances and two interceptions.
Gabriel Magalhaes - 7/10
Gabriel had a decent game and looked solid at the back. He won four of his eight duels, making five clearances and one tackle.
Kieran Tierney - 7/10
Tierney was solid defensively as he was brought into the lineup in place of the injured Zinchenko. He won two of his three duels, making five clearances and one tackle. He also played two accurate long balls and one key pass.
Granit Xhaka - 7.5/10
Xhaka barely put foot wrong in the game, barring his silly yellow card for obstructing the goalkeeper. He provided an assist for Jesus to make it 2-0 to Arsenal. He won three of his five duels and played two accurate long balls.
Thomas Partey - 7/10
Partey returned from injury and was put straight back into the starting XI. He had a decent game and passed the ball well. He completed 73 passes with 86% accuracy, including three long balls.
Fabio Vieira - 7/10
Vieira was relatively passive and looked slightly out of place for most parts of the game. However, he produced a moment of magic to grab his first goal for Arsenal after 49 minutes.
Bukayo Saka - 8/10
Saka was lively on the right flank and made things happen for Arsenal in the final third. He passed the ball with 93% accuracy, including three key passes, one cross and one long ball. He provided assists for his side's first and third goals. He also attempted three shots, with just one on target.
Gabriel Martinelli - 7/10
Martinelli had a lovely chance to give Arsenal an early lead within a few minutes of kick-off. Besides the early chance, however, the Brazilian was fairly dormant. He completed four dribbles and won five of his 14 duels. Martinelli also played two key passes.
Gabriel Jesus - 7.5/10
Jesus looked sharp and scored his fourth goal of the season for the Gunners with a powerful header. He attempted four shots, with three on target and the other one blocked.
Substitutes
Edward Nketiah, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Marquinhos, Ethan Nwaneri - N/A
All of Arsenal's substitutes were brought on late in the game when they were already 3-0 up. As a result, they did not warrant a rating.
