London, Feb 13 (.) Arsenal’s grip on the Premier League summit loosened as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium, trimming their lead at the top to four points.
With Manchester City having beaten Fulham 3-0 on Wednesday, the pressure was firmly on Mikel Arteta’s men. Arsenal appeared to respond when Noni Madueke headed home just after the hour mark from their first shot on target, as per the Premier League website.
However, Brentford struck back 10 minutes later through Keane Lewis-Potter, who powered in a header from a long throw to ensure the points were shared in a pulsating finish.
The result leaves Arsenal looking over their shoulders in the title race, while Brentford remain seventh, just two points behind sixth-placed Liverpool in their push for European qualification.
Arsenal struggled to create in the first half, with Gabriel Magalhaes’ blocked header their only clear opportunity. Brentford went closer before the interval, but David Raya produced a sharp reflex save to deny Igor Thiago’s close-range header.
Arteta introduced Martin Odegaard at the break in place of Eberechi Eze, and Arsenal immediately showed greater urgency. Their opener arrived in the 61st minute when Piero Hincapie’s cross was nodded in by Madueke after Michael Kayode failed to clear decisively.
Brentford responded swiftly. Sepp van den Berg flicked on Kayode’s long throw, allowing Lewis-Potter to head past Raya for the equaliser.
Both sides had chances to snatch victory late on. Thiago was first denied by a brilliant block from Cristhian Mosquera before firing over, while Caoimhin Kelleher kept out Gabriel Martinelli’s effort in stoppage time to preserve a valuable point for the hosts.
. VAN .