Premier League: Gunners Must Evade a Nasty Bee Sting

Brentford vs Arsenal

Premier League pace-setters Arsenal are looking to avoid back-to-back league defeats on Sunday when they visit West London to take on dangerous Brentford.

Mikel Arteta’s side won its first five games of the new campaign but suffered a setback against Manchester United last week, though they still sit proudly at the top of the league table. But a visit to the Community Stadium is not the most comfortable way to spend a day out as Arsenal found out last season and many other teams have discovered to their cost.  

Thomas Frank’s Brentford surprised everyone in their first season in the Premier League and they have started their second campaign just as well; they come into this game having thumped Leeds United 5-2 last time out.

Talking Points

Toney is nicely in tune

Brentford’s early-season Premier League 2022 results have been pretty impressive, with just a single defeat in their opening six games as they sit happily in eighth place. Centre-forward Ivan Toney has been in outstanding form and he bagged a hat-trick in the Bees destruction of Leeds.

The 26-year-old striker has scored 48 goals in 84 games for Brentford, including 12 in his first Premier League season with Brentford and five from six games this year.

His tussle with Arsenal centre-back William Saliba will be well worth watching and, if he comes out on top then Brentford have a realistic chance of upsetting the odds against the Gunners.  

Alongside Toney, Bryan Mbeumo has two goals and he will also stretch the Arsenal back line while, at the back, former Burnley skipper Ben Mee has added some real steel and composure to the rearguard. Christian Norgaard and Sergi Canos are both sidelined, which won’t upset Arsenal fans too much as they both scored for Brentford in this meeting last year. 

The Bees are at a SBOTOP price of 6.50 to be relegated, longer odds than the three newcomers, as well as the likes of Aston Villa, Wolves, Leeds United and Leicester City; a mid-table position is clearly Frank’s objective.   

Arsenal looking for a speedy bounce back 

Losing 3-1 to Manchester United was an unexpected blow to the Gunners and now they need to get back to winning ways quickly. Another loss would seriously damage their early-season momentum and undo much of the good work that has been done.

The Premier League 2022 betting odds pitch Arsenal as joint-third favourites at a SBOTOP price of 13.00, alongside Manchester United, ahead of London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea and trailing hot favourites Manchester City and the chief chasers Liverpool. A top-four finish and a piece of silverware would represent a successful campaign for the Gunners and this is the type of game they should really win.

Summer recruit Gabriel Jesus is joint-second favourite for the Golden Boot at a price of 11.00, with only Erling Braut Haaland more likely to win. The former Manchester City player has scored three goals alongside skipper Martin Odegaard and fellow Brazilian star Gabriel Martinelli.   

Incidentally folks, Brentford’s Toney is in the top ten at odds of 41.00.

History

These two London teams have met three times recently and Arsenal have won two of the encounters, a Premier League match at the Emirates last season and a third-round Carabao Cup clash in 2018. But the Bees announced themselves spectacularly on the Premier League stage with an opening-day win over the Gunners just over 12 months ago. Canos and Norgaard were both on target and will be sadly missed by the home fans this time around.

Recent form has been very good for both teams. Arsenal have won five out of their last six games, while Brentford have won three, drawn two and lost one in that period. 

The Bees have been impressive at home, winning one and drawing the other. But they are odds against to continue their unbeaten home run against the high-flying Gunners.

Betting Tip

Arsenal should win this tricky encounter at a price of 1.79, but the Bees fans will fancy their chances of another upset at odds of 4.17 or even a draw at 3.45.

I think Arsenal will win but you never can quite tell with Thomas Frank’s Brentford, especially at home, so I’m going for a game with two or three goals. Both clashes last season were within this margin, 2-0 to Brentford and 2-1 to Arsenal in the return.  For a correct scoreline, a 2-1 win for Arsenal is one of the most likely outcomes at odds of 6.56, while a repeat of Brentford’s 2-0 win last season is out there at 27.88.

 

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