Having benefitted from playing before Manchester City in the previous two gameweeks, Arsenal will be forced into a state of reaction when they take on Brentford on Thursday night.
The Gunners’ nine-point lead was cut back to six after City’s stunning late show at Anfield, and Pep Guardiola’s side could move to within a victory of the Premier League leaders when they host Fulham 24 hours before Arsenal’s short trip across London.
Mikel Arteta’s men have recovered from their defeat to Manchester United and claimed back-to-back league wins in the absence of two key attackers, who are set to miss out again at the Gtech. Their upcoming opponents, Brentford, are surprise European contenders and in high spirits after prevailing on Tyneside last time out.
Match Snapshot
- 🕒 Kick-off time: 8 p.m. GMT, 3 p.m. ET, 12 p.m. PT
- 📍 Location: Gtech Community Stadium
- 🏆 Competition: Premier League
- 📊 Recent form: DDLWW
Team News
- ⚠️ Key injuries, doubts: Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, Mikel Merino, Leandro Trossard, Max Dowman
- 🔢 Predicted formation: 4-2-3-1
Bukayo Saka’s hip injury is unlikely to have settled by the time this fixture rolls around, but Arsenal will hope to have the winger available for the north London derby later this month. Martin Ødegaard has also missed back-to-back games due to a minor muscle injury and remains a doubt.
Leandro Trossard was forced off late on against Sunderland at the weekend, although little information was disclosed regarding any potential injury. Thus, the Belgian may be fit to feature in west London.
Mikel Merino, who’s recovering from foot surgery, and Max Dowman are certainly absent, while Viktor Gyökeres is pushing for a swift return to the starting lineup.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Brentford (4-2-3-1)
GK: David Raya—Despite a somewhat nervy showing at the weekend, Raya notched his 13th clean sheet of the Premier League season. He returns to his old stomping ground on Thursday.
RB: Jurriën Timber—While Timber has stiff competition from Ben White, Arteta adores his consistency and reliability. He’s unlikely to be taken out of the team in midweek.
CB: William Saliba—The Frenchman’s second Premier League goal came on his first appearance against Brentford at the start of the 2022–23 season. That 3–0 victory was one of just two clean sheets he’s notched in this fixture.
CB: Gabriel—Gabriel and Saliba tamed the threat of the bullish Brian Brobbey last time out, and now they’ll take on the second leading scorer in the division this season, Igor Thiago.
LB: Piero Hincapié—Riccardo Calafiori’s unsteady showing on Saturday should see Arteta pivot back to Hincapié for what could be a tight, physical encounter.
DM: Martín Zubimendi—The superb Spaniard has now scored in back-to-back games, and is emerging as an İlkay Gündoğan-like figure in Arsenal’s midfield.
DM: Declan Rice—Rice’s output has dried up in recent outings, but the Englishman is still on course for PFA Player of the Year honours if Arsenal end their 22-year wait for a league title.
RW: Noni Madueke—Saka’s expected to miss out again, so Madueke will make his fourth consecutive start on Thursday night.
AM: Kai Havertz—The German has been impressive since recovering from a long-term knee injury, and there’s no doubt that he’ll play a huge role for the Gunners down the stretch. Havertz’s Arsenal career ignited with a late winner at the Gtech two seasons ago.
LW: Gabriel Martinelli—Trossard’s status is up in the air, so we’ll likely see a change down the left. With Eberechi Eze poised for 90 minutes in the FA Cup at the weekend, Martinelli should get the nod in this one.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal XI vs. Brentford: Gyokeres Returns After Brace—Injury News, Predicted Lineup.
