Arsenal FC – Brentford FC
Arsenal, with 62 points in second place (eleven points behind Liverpool), go into the 32nd matchday full of confidence against Brentford, who are in 12th place with 42 points. The Gunners have won the last four meetings between the sides, including a 3-1 victory in January. Adding further weight to the Arsenal claim, Mikel Arteta’s side defeated Real Madrid 3-0 in the Champions League just a few days ago, with Declan Rice scoring twice. However, the injured Bukayo Saka could be rested.
Brentford travel to London having drawn 0-0 with Chelsea and have only put in patchy performances of late. They are yet to beat Arsenal in any competition, a run the Bees will be looking to end.
Arsenal – Brentford info
- Location: Emirates Stadium, London
- Date and time: 12.04.2025, 18:30
- Competition: Premier League (Matchday 32)
Arsenal form & record check
Arsenal are in strong form at the moment. Their recent performance against Real Madrid is a testament to the progress they have made under Mikel Arteta. In the Premier League, the Gunners are unbeaten in five games, with two wins and three draws. Although they are only second to Liverpool, eleven points behind, they have a comfortable five-point lead over Nottingham Forest.
Their consistency in the first half, in which Arsenal often take the lead, is striking. Even without the otherwise prolific Kai Havertz, who is missing through injury, and with the possible rest of Saka, the team is creating enough chances. Declan Rice is increasingly proving to be a dominant figure in the midfield, while the defense is mostly solid.
Mikel Arteta is likely to stick with his favored 4-3-3 system against Brentford as well. However, with Gabriel Magalhães and Calafiori, two absolute key players in defense are out, which is why Jurrien Timber and Jakub Kiwior are likely to start.
In the offensive area, Arteta will have to do without Kai Havertz, who had recently established himself as a key player. Gabriel Jesus is also still out, so Leandro Trossard and possibly Raheem Sterling could be in the front line. Captain Martin Ødegaard and Declan Rice are set in central midfield. A surprise is not out of the question, as Arteta could react variably in view of the high workload.
Brentford form & record check
Brentford are going through an inconsistent phase of the season. Currently, Thomas Frank’s team is in 12th place with 42 points, oscillating between good performances and a lack of results. The recent 0-0 draw against Chelsea highlights the defensive stability of Sepp van den Berg, while the necessary offensive power is often lacking.
They previously lost 2-1 at Newcastle, but then beat Bournemouth 2-1. It is interesting to note that in 80% of Brentford’s last matches, the first half ended with less than 1.5 goals. Despite their defensive solidity, they have conceded at least one goal in four consecutive games. Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa are considered key players in the offense, whose effectiveness against Arsenal could be the key.
Thomas Frank is likely to field his usual 4-2-3-1 formation. Van den Berg, Ajer, Collins and Lewis-Potter are all possible choices in defense, with Nørgaard and Yarmolyuk forming the central defensive midfield. Bryan Mbeumo, Mikkel Damsgaard and Kevin Schade could play in the offensive line, with Wissa as the striker.
Injuries: Igor Thiago (knee), Aaron Hickey and Gustavo Nunes are out through injury. Carvalho is also out with a shoulder injury, which could give Damsgaard more game time. While captain Pinnock is likely to be left on the bench, it is still a slight surprise, with players like Henry and Jensen standing by as solid alternatives.
Arsenal – Brentford Comparison & Stats
The head-to-head comparison is clearly in Arsenal’s favor. The Gunners have won four of the last five meetings, with only one game ending in a 1-1 draw. In January 2025, the Londoners recorded a 3-1 win, before that they won 2-1 in March 2024 and twice 1-0 in 2023.
It is striking that in three of these encounters, fewer than 1.5 goals were scored in the first half. Brentford never took the lead before half-time. Arsenal, on the other hand, scored at least once in all five matches, meaning the Bees always conceded at least one goal. A total of four of the five matches saw fewer than 3.5 goals, suggesting that the matches were often rather tactical.
