Arsenal closes gap on Liverpool, as Jesus stars again

LONDON — Arsenal closed the gap on Premier League leader Liverpool to six points, as Gabriel Jesus extended his hot streak in a 3-1 win at Brentford on Wednesday.

Mikel Arteta's side was rocked by Bryan Mbeumo's first-half goal at the Gtech Community Stadium.

But, the Gunners refused to be blown away on a wet and windy evening in west London, with Jesus equalizing before the break.

It was the Brazilian's sixth goal in his last four games, following a drought that saw him score just once in his first 20 matches this season.

Mikel Merino and Gabriel Martinelli netted in quick succession soon after halftime to ensure that Arsenal moved into second place above Nottingham Forest.

"We won in a difficult stadium against a good opponent. The record they have here is incredible, and when you go 1-0 down it makes it even harder," Arteta said.

"Especially when you go a goal down early in the game, it becomes a mountain to climb, but we remained patient.

"We had to manage the situation emotionally. We were very clinical in the box. Jesus' form is very important."

Excluding their 5-1 rout of Crystal Palace, the Gunners had spluttered through their last four league games with lackluster draws against Fulham and Everton, followed by a narrow win over lowly Ipswich.

But, Arsenal's first Premier League game of 2025 provided compelling evidence that it is ready to compete in the title race with Liverpool, which has a game in hand on the north London side.

Runner-up to Manchester City for the last two seasons, Arsenal is unbeaten in 12 games in all competitions, a revitalizing run that now includes four successive wins.

"We can only win our next match and see what happens. It's not in our hands," Arteta said of chasing Arne Slot's men.

With Bukayo Saka sidelined until at least March after sustaining a hamstring injury against Crystal Palace last month, 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri made his first league start for Arsenal.

Kai Havertz was absent after scoring Arsenal's winner against Ipswich, but Jesus ensured the German was not missed.

Arsenal did not lose a single one of its 10 league London derbies in 2024, and it maintained its impressive record in capital clashes into the new year.

Sucker punch

Arsenal keeper David Raya was making his first return to Brentford since leaving in 2023.

The Spaniard was taunted by fans of his former club, who took great delight in his misjudgement as Brentford took the lead from its first serious attack in the 13th minute.

Martin Odegaard surrendered possession cheaply, and Mikkel Damsgaard's pass picked out Mbeumo on the right flank.

Mbeumo cut inside Riccardo Calafiori, but the Cameroon forward's low drive from 20 yards should have been dealt with by Raya, whose slow reaction allowed the ball to beat him at the near post.

Raya nearly gifted Brentford a second goal when he let Mbeumo's shot slip through his grasp, before desperately clawing it away just centimeters before it crossed the line.

Arsenal responded emphatically after that chaotic period, drawing level in the 29th minute.

Thomas Partey's thunderous blast from the edge of the area was parried by Brentford keeper Mark Flekken, and Jesus alertly pounced on the rebound with a diving header that looped into the net from six yards.

Jesus was then left with a bloodied mouth after a clash with Damsgaard that brought no punishment from the officials.

Arsenal delivered a sucker punch of its own five minutes after halftime as its set-piece prowess paid off once again.

When Flekken made a hash of dealing with Nwaneri's corner, Jesus' snap-shot was deflected to Merino, allowing the Spain midfielder to poke home from close range.

Merino's second goal for Arsenal since his close-season move from Real Sociedad shattered Brentford's resistance, and Martinelli bagged the visitor's third three minutes later.

Nwaneri exposed Brentford's defensive deficiencies with a clever cutback and, when his shot was deflected to Martinelli inside the area, the Brazilian curled a fine finish past Flekken.

AFP