Brentford gun down Arsenal in Premier League opener
There was delight for Brentford and their fans as they beat Arsenal 2-0 at Brentford Community Stadium in the opening Premier League game of the season, their first back in the top flight in over 70 years.
Football has a funny way of creating history. Back in 1947 these sides met in Brentford’s last game in the top flight as Arsenal beat the Bees 1-0 to see them relegated. Fast forward 74 years and these teams met again to open Brentford’s return to the pinnacle of English football.
Questions were asked when Thomas Frank named a starting eleven without a single minute of Premier League experience and to a degree it showed in the opening stages as Arsenal dominated possession and looked the more likely to score.
But the home side soon grew into the game and began to press the Arsenal defence into mistakes. It was ultimately a poor clearance that led to Brentford’s opening goal, Ethan Pinnock headed the ball into the path of Sergi Canos who burst into the box and made a yard of space before smashing his shot past the near post of Bernd Leno.
The second half saw Arsenal start well with Emile Smith Rowe central to everything the away side produced.
Read Also: Chelsea drop big hint over Romelu Lukaku shirt number
But once again it was poor defending from the Gunners when a long throw-in was nodded into the back of the net by Christian Nørgaard to the delight of the home crowd.
Despite Arsenal’s best efforts they simply couldn’t find a way through the Brentford defence and slumped to their first away defeat since losing 0-1 at Sunderland in the 2000-01 campaign.
Next up for the Bees is another London Derby with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, while the Gunners also host fellow Londoners Chelsea at the Emirates.