Brentford boss Thomas Frank admitted that the predictability of Arsenal’s starting line-up makes it “in a way easier” for opposition managers to face Mikel Arteta’s team.
Ivan Toney earned the Bees a deserved point in North London in Saturday afternoon’s Premier League clash after Leandro Trossard's opener for the hosts. It was just the second time Arteta’s side had dropped points at home this campaign.
Yet Arsenal's failure to hold on to three points against Brentford meant that they failed to win in successive Premier League matches for the first time this season. The Gunners lost last time out at Everton and with the visit of Manchester City this coming week, it is a concerning time to lose form.
Indeed, the blip in results may threaten to turn into a slump should Arsenal not return to winning ways soon. They have scored just once in their last three matches in all competitions, with a 1-0 loss to City in the FA Cup compounding their mini spell of below-par form.
Should City beat the Gunners in their crunch midweek clash they would actually leapfrog Arsenal at the top of the standings, albeit Arteta’s side would still have one match in hand. Manchester United are now lingering just five points off the pace – despite playing two games more – as it threatens to become a three-way title tussle.
Arsenal have a settled line-up, with new signings Trossard, Jorginho and Jakub Kiwior all having to make do with places on the bench. Takehiro Tomiyasu, Kieran Tierney and Rob Holding are also regular substitutes available, with Arteta sticking with his trusted line-up.
Have Your Say! Does Arteta need to rotate his side more? Tell us what you think here.
Speaking to his press conference after Saturday’s match in North London, Frank was asked if it was easier to set up against the Gunners due to the predictability of their starting line-ups and lack of rotations. “In a way, yes,” Frank answered.
The Dane then went on to contextualise his comments: "But they are very good at what they are doing. It's about eliminating their threats. We were very aware of doubling up on Saka and Martinelli. There was one moment when we didn't have everything bang on and that's when they scored."
However, Brentford boss Frank believes that Arsenal will go on to win the league for the first time in 19 seasons. The Dane added in his press conference: "They're favourites to win the title and I think they will."
It was somewhat of an unprompted quote from Frank, who was clearly proud of his side – who were the superior team for large parts of the match and created more clear-cut scoring opportunities than the Gunners, who struggled to create chances against the Bees.
