EPL boss' bizarre claim amid sputtering title hunt

1 year ago 74

Arsenal’s grip connected the English Premier League pb is abruptly looking shaky.

The Gunners were held by Brentford to 1-1 astatine Emirates Stadium overnight, dropping points for the 2nd crippled successful a enactment and giving Manchester City renewed anticipation of overtaking them atop the table.

The effect means City tin chopped Arsenal’s pb to 3 points with a location triumph implicit Aston Villa connected Monday morning. With Arsenal past hosting City connected Thursday morning, Pep Guardiola’s squad would spell apical connected extremity quality if it wins some matches — though the Gunners person played 1 crippled less.

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Leandro Trossard’s archetypal Arsenal extremity gave the hosts the pb successful the 66th infinitesimal erstwhile helium steered successful a transverse from Bukayo Saka. But Ivan Toney equalised with a close-range header 8 minutes aboriginal aft the Gunners failed to wide a escaped kick.

Coming disconnected a 1-0 nonaccomplishment astatine Everton past weekend, Arsenal looked level again for overmuch of the crippled and was adjacent fortunate not to beryllium down astatine the interruption arsenic Brentford wasted 2 large chances.

Toney's transverse from the close evaded Arsenal defenders to springiness Rico Henry an accidental to people into an unfastened net, but the afloat backmost couldn’t marque cleanable interaction with the shot and it sailed wide.

Toney past astir scored successful the 25th aft Bryan Mbeumo teed him up wrong the area, but the striker’s changeable deed the country of the extremity frame.

With Arsenal’s onslaught sputtering, Trossard came disconnected the seat to supply a much-needed spark. The erstwhile Brighton forward, who joined Arsenal successful the January transportation window, was connected manus astatine the acold station to slot the shot into an bare nett aft being picked retired by Saka.

But the pb didn’t past long.

After Arsenal couldn’t wide an successful swinging escaped footwear into the area, Brentford kept the shot live with 3 consecutive headers earlier Christian Norgaard squared the shot crossed the goalmouth, wherever Toney had an casual header into an bare net. The Brentford celebrations were enactment connected clasp for a lengthy VAR cheque for a imaginable offside earlier the extremity was allowed to stand.

Arteta, though, insisted the extremity should person been disallowed due to the fact that Ethan Pinnock was offside erstwhile helium blocked Arsenal defender Gabriel from getting to the shot successful the leadup.

“I conscionable looked backmost and it is offside, yes,” Arteta said. “You cannot artifact if you are offside.”

"They volition astir apt springiness an mentation aboriginal connected successful the week, but contiguous we haven't got any. You person to use definite principles successful defending and you bash that by sticking to the rules. Suddenly you use antithetic rules and you person to archer america before."

Oleksandr Zinchenko changeable narrowly wide successful the 80th arsenic Arsenal looked for an contiguous effect but the hosts ne'er came person to a winner.

For Brentford, it's present 10 games unbeaten successful the league aft different large effect against the accepted apical teams.

Thomas Frank's squad has beaten Manchester United, Man City and Liverpool this season, with draws against Chelsea, Tottenham and present Arsenal.

“We person this concealed condiment astatine the grooming crushed that we springiness to the players each lunch. No, I privation it was that, that would beryllium a bully story,” Frank said. “It’s insane that it’s imaginable for america with the 2nd lowest fund to beryllium unbeaten and each 10 games good deserved wins oregon draws. It’s not similar we’re crawling implicit the line. That’s possibly adjacent much impressive.”

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