The London derbies continue coming thick and fast for Premier League leaders Arsenal, whose next all-capital clash comes at home to Brentford on Wednesday evening.
The Gunners were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at 10-man Chelsea over the weekend, while the European-chasing Bees took down Burnley 3-1 on home soil.
Match preview
In ordinary circumstances, a point away to Club World Cup winners Chelsea would be seen as a praiseworthy result - especially after their battering of Barcelona - but Sunday's stalemate was very much a case of two points dropped for a leggy Arsenal team.
The Blues temporarily defied their numerical disadvantage after Moises Caicedo was dismissed, beating Arsenal at their own set-piece game to take the lead through Trevoh Chalobah, but Mikel Merino also used his head to brilliant effect to steal a point for the leaders.
Sunday's lethargic display from Mikel Arteta's side was perhaps the consequence of a brutal run against Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich and the title-chasing Blues, but the hosts still hold a healthy five-point lead at the summit of the Premier League table.
That advantage will be reduced to two if Manchester City get the better of Fulham on Tuesday evening, but Arsenal have little reason to fret at the Emirates, where they have won nine of their 10 games in all tournaments this season - including the last seven in a row.
The Gunners' draw at Stamford Bridge also prolonged their unbeaten run to a stellar 17 matches since August's 1-0 reverse against Liverpool, and no team have conceded fewer Premier League home goals than the hosts' two in 2025-26.
© Imago / IMAGO / IPS
Arsenal's home successes spell danger for a Brentford side whose travails on their travels leave a lot to be desired; Keith Andrews has presided over five defeats from six Premier League away games this season, including each of their last two.
Nevertheless, the Bees are very much in the European conversation thanks to their exploits at the Gtech Community Stadium, where a chaotic final 10 minutes against Burnley saw the West London club emerge triumphant by three goals to one.
A new chapter of history was written by hotshot Igor Thiago, who reached 10 Premier League goals for the season in just 13 games, the quickest any Brentford player has hit double figures in a single campaign in the competition.
The Bees' sixth win of the season saw them end gameweek 13 just about clinging onto a top-half place, although Zian Flemming's consolation extended their run without a Premier League clean sheet to five games, and they have only shut out West Ham United on the road in 2025-26.
Furthermore, Brentford must go back to 1938 for their most recent away league win over Arsenal, who have strung together a seven-game unbeaten sequence against the Bees in the Premier League since becoming their visitors' first-ever victims in the competition in August 2021.
Arsenal Premier League form:
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Arsenal form (all competitions):
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Brentford Premier League form:
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Brentford form (all competitions):
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Team News
© Imago / Sportsphoto
Gooners were aghast to see no William Saliba on the team sheet against Chelsea; the French defender sustained a knock in training and will undergo more tests ahead of this game, but it would be a shock to see him play in midweek.
Saliba and regular partner Gabriel Magalhaes (hamstring) make up 50% of Arsenal's fitness concerns, as attacking duo Leandro Trossard (muscle) and Kai Havertz (knee) should watch this contest from the sidelines too.
However, the fit-again Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard and Viktor Gyokeres should all push for starting roles as Arteta rotates amid a hectic schedule; recent ACL victim Gabriel Jesus may even be considered after making the bench on Sunday.
Riccardo Calafiori will miss the trip to Aston Villa this weekend if he is booked, so there is also scope for Myles Lewis-Skelly to come into the Arsenal XI.
As for Brentford, on-loan Arsenal attacker Reiss Nelson cannot face his parent club this week, but the Hale End graduate is only on the fringes of the Bees team anyway.
Nelson should be one of four absentees for the visitors alongside Fabio Carvalho, Antoni Milambo and Josh Dasilva, all of whom will be out until 2026 with knee injuries.
Andrews has not hesitated to go with a five-at-the-back system against Big Six sides this season, so a formation change is not beyond the realm of possibility as his side seek to stifle the Gunners.
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
We say: Arsenal 2-1 Brentford
Brentford talisman Thiago could smell blood against a Saliba and Gabriel-less Arsenal defence, but Brentford's main concern on Wednesday may be keeping the Gunners out, especially considering their dire away record this season.
However, this is the time for Arsenal's significant squad depth to come to the fore, and while it may not be straightforward, the leaders should return to winning ways.
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