Arsenal missed the chance to secure all three points as Yoane Wissa’s second-half goal earned Brentford a hard-fought 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta made several changes to his starting lineup ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid, and the Gunners struggled to find rhythm early on.
Teenager Ethan Nwaneri came close with a deflected effort, while Kieran Tierney had a header ruled out for offside.
Brentford’s Kristoffer Ajer forced a save from David Raya midway through the first half, but Arsenal gradually applied pressure. Leandro Trossard tested Brentford’s defense with a series of ambitious attempts, yet the visitors remained resolute.
The breakthrough finally came on the hour mark through a swift counterattack. David Raya released Declan Rice, who surged forward and set up Thomas Partey to finish clinically for his first Premier League goal of the season.
However, Brentford responded in the 74th minute. After Arsenal failed to clear a corner, Ajer headed the ball into the path of Wissa, who improvised smartly to beat Raya and level the score.
Bukayo Saka came close to snatching a late winner, but his curled effort drifted just wide in stoppage time.
The result extends Arsenal’s unbeaten run to nine matches, while Brentford climb to 11th in the table.
