London derbies keep coming for Premier League leaders Arsenal, who welcome Brentford to the Emirates on Wednesday evening for their latest all-capital showdown. Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by 10-man Chelsea at the weekend, while Brentford boosted their European hopes with a 3-1 home victory over Burnley.
A point at Chelsea would normally be considered a strong result, especially given the Blues’ recent dismantling of Barcelona, but Arsenal left Stamford Bridge feeling they had let two points slip away. Despite going down to 10 men after Moises Caicedo’s dismissal, Chelsea struck first through Trevoh Chalobah, capitalising on a set piece. Arsenal eventually responded through Mikel Merino, whose well-timed header ensured the leaders avoided defeat.
The performance reflected the fatigue of a team navigating a demanding run of fixtures that included Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Chelsea. Even so, Arsenal remain five points clear at the top of the Premier League table. That gap could narrow to two if Manchester City beat Fulham on Tuesday, but Arsenal will still head into Wednesday’s match with plenty of confidence.
They have won nine of their 10 home games in all competitions this season, including seven straight, and remain unbeaten in 17 matches since losing to Liverpool in August. No side has conceded fewer home league goals than Arsenal’s tally of just two this season.
Brentford, meanwhile, arrive with a poor away record that continues to undermine their progress. Keith Andrews has overseen five losses in six Premier League trips this season, including defeats in their last two. Yet the Bees remain firmly in the European conversation thanks to their strong home form. Their dramatic win over Burnley saw them score twice in the final 10 minutes to secure a deserved 3-1 victory.
Igor Thiago made club history by reaching 10 Premier League goals in only 13 appearances, becoming the fastest Brentford player to hit double figures in a single campaign. The Bees now have six league wins and ended gameweek 13 hanging onto a place in the top half of the table. Defensive issues persist, however, as Zian Flemming’s late strike for Burnley extended Brentford’s run without a clean sheet to five league games. Their only away shutout this season came at West Ham.
Brentford’s historical record at Arsenal offers little encouragement. They have not won a league match away to the Gunners since 1938, and Arsenal have gone seven Premier League games unbeaten in this fixture since Brentford famously beat them in their first-ever match in the competition back in August 2021.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Arsenal supporters were stunned to see William Saliba missing from the squad against Chelsea. The French defender picked up a knock in training and will undergo further tests before this match, but it would be a major surprise if he features in midweek. His absence, along with that of Gabriel Magalhaes, who is dealing with a hamstring issue, accounts for half of Arsenal’s current injury problems.
The other concerns lie in attack, where Leandro Trossard is sidelined with a muscle strain and Kai Havertz is nursing a knee injury, ruling both out of contention.
There is some positive news for Mikel Arteta, though. Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard and Viktor Gyökeres are all fit again and expected to push for starting spots as the manager rotates his squad during a demanding spell of fixtures.
Even Gabriel Jesus, who recently suffered an ACL injury, might be considered after making the bench on Sunday. With Riccardo Calafiori one booking away from a suspension that would rule him out of the upcoming trip to Aston Villa, Myles Lewis-Skelly could also be drafted into the starting lineup.
Brentford, meanwhile, are unable to call on on-loan Arsenal forward Reiss Nelson, who cannot face his parent club. Nelson has only featured sporadically for the Bees, but he joins a growing list of absentees that includes Fabio Carvalho, Antoni Milambo and Josh Dasilva, all recovering from long-term knee injuries and not expected back until 2026.
Manager Keith Andrews has shown a willingness to deploy a five-man defence against Big Six opponents this season, so another tactical shift is very possible as Brentford look to limit Arsenal’s attacking threat.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Raya; White, Mosquera, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Gyokeres, Eze
Brentford possible starting lineup:
Kelleher; Kayode, Collins, Van den Berg, Ajer, Henry; Yarmoliuk, Henderson; Damsgaard; Ouattara, Thiago
EXPERT PREDICTIONS
Arsenal 3-1 Brentford
