Arsenal bounced back from their defeat against Manchester United with a dominant away victory against Brentford. The result was excellent, but the performance was even more impressive. This win puts Arsenal back at the top of the Premier League table for now. Let’s get into the Arsenal week 7 match review.

Arsenal Week 7 Match Review: The Positives

There were many positives from this performance. First of all, Arsenal defended incredibly well and only allowed Brentford to get two shots on goal in the entire match. This is a credit to Arsenal’s entire backline and to Ramsdale. Brentford rarely had many good goal-scoring opportunities and Arsenal ensured Ivan Toney had a very quiet game. This is impressive, given that this is the first time Brentford have failed to score in the Premier League since being promoted.

Arsenal’s Midfield Shines

Arsenal’s midfield was also excellent. Xhaka had one of his best overall performances and provided an assist for Gabriel Jesus’s goal, which was Arsenal’s second goal of the match. Xhaka has continued to thrive in his more attacking role and he will likely prove vital to Arsenal achieving its objectives this season.

Speaking of the midfield, Partey had an excellent performance on his return. He shielded the back four quite well and helped Arsenal quickly transition from defense to attack. He also resisted Brentford’s press incredibly well and helped Arsenal retain and dominate possession throughout the match. It is excellent to see Partey return from injury and play so well ahead of incredibly important league games against Tottenham and Liverpool.

Fabio Vieira also played very well in his first start for Arsenal. He drove Arsenal forward, passed the ball well, and scored an excellent goal from outside the box to seal the win for the Gunners. Vieira is definitely a different option than Odegaard, and he demonstrated his class today in an excellent performance.

Arsenal Week 7 Match Review: Saka and Jesus Lead Arsenal’s Front Line Well

Saka also played quite well and got two assists. He could have scored a goal of his own if not for an excellent save by Brentford keeper Raya. Despite some claims that Saka isn’t playing well, he already has 5 goal contributions in seven matches so far this season. I’m confident he will start to score more goals himself as the season progresses.

Gabriel Jesus also got back on the scoresheet with an excellent header. He gave Raya no chance as he extended Arsenal’s lead to 2-0. Jesus could have scored more goals in this match, too, but Raya made a few saves to deny him any more than his one goal. Jesus did pick up a yellow card, but he was excellent overall once more.

Arsenal Youngster Makes Premier League History

Arsenal also made some Premier League history during their 3-0 win against Brentford. Ethan Nwaneri came on to replace Fabio Vieira during the last few minutes of the game. In doing so, Nwaneri becomes the youngest player to play in a Premier League game. He is just 15 years old. While it will likely be some time before he has a significant role in the Arsenal first team, this is an incredible moment for the youngster.

Arsenal Week 7 Match Review: The Negatives

It’s difficult to find many negatives in this Arsenal performance. However, Arsenal could have scored even more goals than they did. Raya made saves to prevent Saka from scoring and to prevent Jesus from scoring again. Tierney also had a shot at the end of the first half that sailed over the bar. However, Arsenal scored from all three of the biggest opportunities they had, so this is a minor criticism.

Martinelli also did not have his best game. He worked hard and pressed well, as always, but his impact in the final third was less significant than expected. He will certainly have better performances soon. I expect Martinelli will play much better in Arsenal’s next Premier League match.

Additionally, Gabriel Jesus picking up a yellow card means that he is only one yellow card away from a one-game suspension. This is certainly concerning, given how vital he is to Arsenal’s attack. Arsenal will have to do everything they can to ensure he can at least play against both Tottenham and Liverpool.

Manager Rating: 9

It’s hard to criticize Arteta after a dominant away performance like that. Arsenal defended quite well, dominated possession, and created quite a few goal-scoring opportunities. Brentford struggled to even maintain possession, let alone actually threaten Arsenal’s goal. Arteta also made his substitutions a little earlier than usual, which is good to see. Arteta’s tactics clearly worked well as Arsenal emerged with a dominant victory in a tricky away fixture.

Arsenal Regain Their Place At the Top of the League

Arsenal return to the top of the Premier League table thanks to this win. Arsenal is one point ahead of both Tottenham and Manchester City. Of course, I don’t expect Arsenal to win the league this season, but Arsenal is playing like a team that will finish in the top 4. I think that is a safe bet. Check back in after the first North London Derby of the season for our match review of that pivotal game.