Brentford vs. Arsenal preview: Goals galore in Premier League derby as Mikel Arteta keeps faith in Brazilian

Arsenal and Brentford should service up a feast of goals successful their Premier League New Year's Day contention astatine the Gtech Community Stadium, Gunners adept Charles Watts believes.

The 2 London rivals person the honour of playing the archetypal English top-flight crippled of 2025 connected Wednesday evening, arsenic Mikel Arteta's men sojourn a crushed famed for its goal-laden spectaculars successful the existent Premier League campaign.

No squad successful the part boasts more location points than Brentford's 22 this play - level with leaders Liverpool - portion their 26 goals scored connected acquainted territory is besides a league-high, though they did lose 2-0 to Nottingham Forest successful their past lucifer astatine the Gtech Community Stadium.

Nevertheless, Watts has implored William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes to beryllium connected apical of their crippled if Arsenal are to prevail, and helium besides highlighted the Gunners' caller affinity for winning connected Brentford's turf, having triumphed successful their past 3 contests astatine the stadium without conceding.

"It's got goals written each implicit it," Watts told Sports Mole. "Brentford's numbers are astatine location this play are crazy. Every clip they play astatine home, it seems to extremity up 4-3 oregon thing similar that. We cognize however beardown Brentford are, the goals they people and the concern that Mbeumo and Wissa have. It's superb.

"So Arsenal are going to person to support precise well. And if they tin bash that, past they're decidedly going to person opportunities to exploit astatine the different extremity due to the fact that of the mode that Brentford play.

"I deliberation Gabriel and Saliba are going to beryllium perfectly important to Arsenal's chances of winning. If they tin support things tight, if they tin support Brentford out, past the opportunities that are going to originate astatine the different extremity you would anticipation are going to beryllium capable for Arsenal to spell connected and get the win.

"They've really got a decent grounds astatine Brentford the past fewer seasons. They had that nightmare archetypal crippled erstwhile Brentford got promoted, but past since then, they've won past year, 1-0, the play earlier that, they went determination and won 3-0. They won determination successful the League Cup arsenic good successful the past mates of seasons. That should springiness them a small spot of confidence."

Arsenal's last brushwood of 2024 saw them labour to a 1-0 triumph implicit a dogged Ipswich Town broadside connected December 27, wherever Arteta opted for an attacking trident of Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard arsenic Bukayo Saka begins his roadworthy to betterment from a hamstring problem.

While Trossard acceptable up Kai Havertz's winning goal, Martinelli did not acceptable the satellite alight connected the right-hand broadside successful Saka's place, portion Jesus could not marque an interaction contempt scoring 5 goals successful 2 games against Crystal Palace to spark hopes of a revival.

Jesus is different enactment connected the close flank, arsenic is Ethan Nwaneri, but the erstwhile could besides beryllium astatine hazard of the axe wholly if Arteta brings Thomas Partey backmost into the broadside and starts Havertz up apical alternatively than successful midfield.

Will Arteta instrumentality with Jesus, Martinelli for Brentford clash?

© Imago

However, Watts tin envisage Arteta keeping religion with the attacking look from the clash with the Tractor Boys, saying: "I deliberation helium astir apt volition stick. I deliberation it's a small spot excessively early.

"There was a batch of quality successful opinions successful presumption of however Gabriel Martinelli did connected the right-hand side. I thought helium did each right, decidedly country for improvement. But it's his archetypal commencement successful that presumption since Saka got injured. He's going to person to get utilized to it, his teammates are going to person to get utilized to it.

"I deliberation it's excessively aboriginal to rip things up and alteration things. So I deliberation he'll astir apt instrumentality and anticipation that this squad tin gel and this caller onslaught tin gel. They'll surely get opportunities wherever they should beryllium capable to get themselves connected the scoresheet."

However, comparing Arsenal's attacking play to league leaders Liverpool, who are 9 points wide of the Gunners astatine the top-flight summit, Watts admitted that it was "chalk and cheese" to spot however the 2 teams spell astir their offence aft the Reds' 5-0 battering of West Ham United connected December 29.

"Chalk and cheese" betwixt Arsenal, Liverpool attacking play

© Imago

"With Arsenal astatine the moment, truthful overmuch of the speech aft games is much astir the show than the existent effect astatine the moment. Arsenal picking up immoderate results, winning, but past adjacent aft Ipswich, it wasn't convincing," Watts added. "They didn't play precise well, they struggled against a squad who sat deep, they didn't make excessively galore chances.

"Even though Arsenal won that game, each the reactions were connected however Arsenal performed. And that makes you deliberation Arsenal person mislaid oregon they've dropped points, but they didn't. They won a crippled again.

"But erstwhile you beryllium backmost and ticker Liverpool bash what they did against West Ham, it's chalk and food successful presumption of watching however the 2 teams play. Liverpool are conscionable the champion attacking broadside successful the Premier League close now. They're astir apt the champion attacking broadside successful satellite shot close now.

"So it's precise hard for Arsenal to vie with that, particularly without immoderate of their cardinal players. The Brentford crippled is going to beryllium truly important, I think, for Arsenal. You would look astatine these 2 games coming up and deliberation Arsenal are going to get a spot much abstraction than they are utilized to, particularly astatine home.

"Brentford aren't going to beryllium heavy and look to frustrate Arsenal for 90 minutes. Brentford people a batch of goals astatine home. And you would deliberation that's going to permission immoderate abstraction for Arsenal to exploit going forward."

Press play connected the video supra to perceive Watts's afloat preview of the New Year's Day derby, oregon click here to perceive the Arsenal expert's halfway play reappraisal of the Gunners' 2024-25 show truthful far.

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