Arsenal’s draw with Brentford felt like a match played in the shadow of Madrid.
After the high of Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Real Madrid, arguably the greatest night in the Emirates era, the Premier League meeting with Brentford never looked likely to match that energy.
The subdued atmosphere and Mikel Arteta’s decision to make five changes reflected a squad with one eye on Wednesday’s second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The match itself never really got going. Arsenal dominated territory but looked flat, lacking the urgency that had defined their midweek display.
Arteta’s experimental starting eleven, featuring Thomas Partey at right-back, Kieran Tierney at left-back and Oleksandr Zinchenko operating in a more advanced role, failed to create many clear chances in a disjointed first half.
Declan Rice, however, continued his inspired week with a moment of brilliance just after the hour mark. Collecting the ball from David Raya deep in his own half, Rice drove forward with power and precision before teeing up Partey for a cool finish.
It was a goal that showed what Arsenal are capable of — even at half-tilt — and underlined the midfielder’s growing influence on both ends of the pitch.
But Arsenal could not hold the lead. Brentford equalised through Yoane Wissa after a scrappy sequence following a corner.
Arteta was clear in his assessment of the goal, pointing to poor organisation and slow reactions in the second phase. “It’s our fault,” he said. “We didn’t defend the space close to the taker well enough.”
Injuries further complicated Arsenal’s evening. Partey, with an eye on a starting role in Madrid, was withdrawn as a precaution. Jorginho later came off after struggling to breathe due to a rib problem, and with all substitutions used, Arsenal finished the match with 10 men.
Despite late pressure and a golden opportunity for Bukayo Saka — denied by a superb recovery challenge from Michael Kayode — the winner never came.
Arteta was asked whether the Madrid tie had affected his players’ mentality or the crowd’s energy. “The atmosphere was different to Tuesday, that’s for sure,” he said. “But today we wanted to increase the probability of really challenging for the Premier League. With that result, it’s more unlikely to happen.”
Liverpool’s game in hand on Sunday could stretch the gap to 13 points with six matches left. Arteta insisted the league campaign is not over, but admitted the focus has shifted. “Now it’s all about winning,” he said. “We want to be higher. That’s for sure.”
