A resilient Brentford denied Arsenal all three points at the G-tech Community Stadium, slicing the Gunners' buffer at the top of the Premier League down to four points.
It was a brilliant performance from Keith Andrews' men, who limited their opponents to just the solitary shot in the first half. Arsenal responded, coming flying out of the gates in the second half and being rewarded with the opening goal via Noni Madueke.
But, Brentford were not going down without a fight, picking themselves up and going straight on the hunt for an equaliser. Keane Lewis-Potter was the man to draw his side level with a headed effort that had his manager animated to say the least on the sidelines.
Both teams had the opportunity to steal all three points at the death, but the honors ended even in this encounter.
Story of the Match
It was a relatively slow start to the game as neither goalkeeper was particularly threatened in the opening ten minutes. As many would have expected, Arsenal gained the ascendancy in terms of possession from the first whistle as the Bees looked more than content to let their opposition have control of the ball.
Whilst the Gunners were enjoying a dominant spell on the ball, they were failing to stretch a Brentford backline that looked like it would prove to be a stubborn spectacle for the visitors to try and unlock. Much to the pleasure of Keith Andrews' men, all the passing was being done in front of the defence in the opening stages; Arsenal would need to try something different.
The Bees were playing this smartly, biding their time as they awaited their first opportunity to test the formidable Arsenal defence. A long throw provided Michael Kayode with an opportunity to launch the ball into the box.
Raya caught the ball with no issue, but his swift release of the ball was intercepted by Keane Lewis-Potter. The Englishman delivered an inviting cross that was met by Igor Thiago. It looked almost a certain goal, but David Raya produced an instinctive save to deny his former employers the opening goal of the evening.
It had been impressive to say the least, from Brentford as Arsenal were beginning to grow visibly frustrated with how the match was unfolding. Their chances had been seriously limited, and they certainly looked vulnerable when they were without the ball.
Arsenal were beginning to get some joy in the wide areas in the latter stages of the half. For the first time in the match, Brentford's backline invited some pressure, leaving the Gunners with space to operate on the wings and start delivering balls into the box. Despite this, a lack of a clinical edge was harming the visiting side as they continued to hunt for an opening goal.
The teams would go in level at the break; the hosts would undoubtedly have been the happier of the two sides. It had been a tame effort so far from Arsenal, who had barely threatened their opposition and would need to show something different in the second half.
Mikel Arteta's men came out with plenty of intent in the second half, looking visibly more dangerous from the first whistle. This was beginning to expose some slight cracks in the Bees' defence, which the visiting side would eventually capitalise on.
The 61st minute marked the breakthrough for Arsenal as Piero Hincapié's delivery was headed home in impressive fashion by Noni Madueke; Not the likeliest in the Arsenal team to score via his head, nevertheless, a skilful finish from the Englishman, who had to lean back to find the net.
The Gunners' tails were up now, as they swiftly went in pursuit of a second goal to make this game much more comfortable. They came close to doing so with a breakaway that caught Brentford out of position. Declan Rice had the opportunity to pull the trigger, but instead opted for the extra pass, a decision that proved costly as the ball was intercepted.
Brentford had responded well to going behind, as the Bees looked intent on leaving their mark on the scoreline. This is exactly what they did as the Gunners' lead only survived for ten minutes.
It was a long throw that unlocked the Arsenal defence, causing all sorts of problems in the box. The ball was flicked onto the far post, where Lewis-Potter was waiting to head home and level the game.
It was no more than Brentford deserved as they showed little intent of slowing down; a winning goal was not off the cards for either side. Igor Thiago was presented with multiple chances, but David Raya was not letting the Brazilian leave his mark on the game.
There were chances at both ends in injury time, but it was the goalkeepers who proved crucial for their respective teams, denying what would have likely been the winning goal whichever net the ball ended up in.
Two points dropped for Arsenal, a point gained for Brentford is likely to be the evaluation of the evening. It will start to get nervy for Mikel Arteta and his squad in the coming weeks as the inevitable Manchester City begin to breathe down their necks.
On the other hand, it was a triumphant night in Brentford's pursuit of European football. Holding Arsenal to a draw is certainly no mean feat and will undoubtedly provide the Bees with plenty of confidence moving forward.