Arsenal Held 1-1 by Brentford as Wissa Strikes Again

Yoane Wissa’s strike earned Brentford a 1-1 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, bringing Liverpool closer to winning the Premier League title. Arsenal, who had beaten Real Madrid 3-0 in their Champions League quarter-final first leg, were unable to breach Brentford’s defence. Thomas Partey scored after Declan Rice initiated a counter-attack from a Brentford corner.

Arsenal Frustrated by Disallowed Goal in Draw

Arsenal had a previous goal ruled out by semi-automated offside technology, its Premier League debut. Kieran Tierney’s header from the cross of Ethan Nwaneri was disallowed since he was offside. Arsenal, although having Partey’s goal, was not creative enough and Brentford leveled in the 74th minute. Nathan Collins headed Michael Kayode’s cross back onto goal for Wissa to turn it in.

Brentford’s Efficient Play and Arsenal’s Missed Opportunities

Brentford maximized few chances, with their total expected (xG) of only 0.19, one of the lowest such totals by a team not to lose this campaign. Two more teams also pinned Arsenal back into draws with minimal xG: Everton with 0.09 and Fulham with 0.16 last December. This season, Arsenal have now conceded 16 points from winning positions.

Late Drama and Title Implications for Arsenal

Bukayo Saka’s late effort went just wide of the post but failed to convert in stoppage time, leaving Arsenal unable to gain a win. Jorginho’s injury reduced them to 10 men since they had exhausted all substitutes. The draw left Liverpool with nine points needed to claim the title, while Brentford passed Crystal Palace and took 11th place.

Wissa’s effort was his 15th in the Premier League this year, just shy of teammate Bryan Mbeumo on 16. Brentford is the first club this year with two members each with a minimum of 15 goals each. Wissa is also the first to register 15 non-penalty goals for Brentford in any Premier League campaign.

Wissa’s Contributions Shine in Brentford’s Campaign

Wissa has now scored 50 Premier League contributions (41 goals, nine assists), second only to Mbeumo with 64 contributions for Brentford. This record shows the major contribution Wissa has made to his team’s performance all season long.

The game put both teams’ strengths and weaknesses on display as they go on with their campaigns. Arsenal will have to improve on their inability to hold on to leads if they are to better their performances in upcoming matches.