Arsenal did not play in the Europa League this week so their next game after this short break will be against Brentford in the Premier League.
The Gunners hit the road on Sunday to take on the Bees and Mikel Arteta will be hoping to hold onto the top spot on the table. Their previous league encounter was a 3-1 loss to Manchester United but thanks to their brilliant start to the campaign, they are still maintaining a one-point lead at the top of the table.
Arsenal suffered a shock defeat vs Brentford on the opening day of last season but they have come a long way since then and right now, they are one of the favourites to finish in the top four.
This unexpected break would have given them a lot of time to regroup following their loss to Manchester United. Arteta will also have a few players returning from injury which is a great positive in terms of team selection.
Arsenal’s team news vs Brentford:
Arteta has tinkered with his back line and this season, it’s William Saliba and Gabriel who are playing as the two central defenders while Ben White has been playing at right-back.
Cedric is currently out with a knock and while the manager has Tomiyasu in his side, we expect White to hold onto his place as the right-sided full-back.
The biggest boost in terms of injury is the return of Thomas Partey who returned to training last week so he will be available for selection and should also be starting alongside Granit Xhaka.
This is a big plus because Elneny is a long-term absentee which means the Arsenal manager has very limited options in central midfield.
🇬🇠Thomas Partey has returned to full training ahead of Arsenal’s game against Brentford. pic.twitter.com/qsRpv63XhU
— Owuraku Ampofo (@_owurakuampofo) September 12, 2022
Emile Smith Rowe picked up another muscle injury earlier this month which means he is going to miss the Brentford vs Arsenal game as well. This fresh injury means Gabriel Martinelli will keep operating on the left flank with Bukayo Saka playing on the right.
Gabriel Jesus misfired against Manchester United but otherwise, he’s been brilliant this season so he’s a guaranteed starter on Sunday.
Arsenal will be really eager to get back to winning ways because, after this match, the international break kicks in and Arteta will want to go into the break as the best team in the league. Also, after the break, Arsenal play in the North London Derby so before that, the players will want some confidence under their belt.
Arsenal predicted line up vs Brentford:
Predicted Starting Line up(4-2-3-1): Ramsdale; Saliba, Zinchenko, Gabriel, Ben White; Xhaka, Thomas Partey; Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli; Gabriel Jesus.
Stats via Fotmob