Brentford 0-3 Arsenal (Saliba 17′, Jesus 28′, Vieira 49′)
Arsenal will spend the next fortnight at the top of the Premier League table after leapfrogging Manchester City and Tottenham with a 3-0 win against Brentford.
It all began with William Saliba who after spending the past three years out on loan has had the look of someone eager to make up for lost time in the Premier League. The Frenchman set Arsenal on their way to victory with an early header and was joined on the scoresheet by Gabriel Jesus and Fabio Vieira.
It was the Frenchman’s second goal of the campaign and growing evidence of Arsenal’s set-piece threat – they have now scored three times from set plays this season, the joint-most alongside north London rivals Tottenham. The clubs will contest the north London derby on 1 October in the first league fixture after the international break.
The Gunners doubled their advantage before the break with another header, this time crafted from open play and scored by a more regular finisher, Jesus rising to power Granit Xhaka’s pinpoint cross into the top corner via a finger-tip touch from David Raya.
Another headed goal for Arsenal with Jesus nodding past Raya!
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 18, 2022
The ball from Xhaka was sublime!pic.twitter.com/9bQTs0vHd1
The Brazilian celebrated by copying Real Madrid star and Brazilian international colleague Vinicius Jr’s trademark dancing celebration after a Spanish football pundit had criticised him using a racist slur.
Jesus was one of a number of footballers to offer their support to Vinicius after the incident, tweeting “Dance, Vini” on Friday.
Player ratings
Brentford (3-5-2): Raya 7, Ajer 5, Jansson 5, Mee 6, Hickey 6, Jensen 6 (Baptiste 6), Janelt 6 (Onyeka 6), Dasilva 5 (Damsgaard 6), Henry 5, Mbeumo 5 (Wissa 6), Toney 6
Arsenal (4-3-3): Ramsdale 7, White 6, Saliba 8, Gabriel M 7, Tierney 6, Partey 7 (Lokonga 6), Xhaka 8, Vieira 8 (Nwaneri N/A), Saka 7 (Marquinhos N/A), Martinelli 6 (Nketiah 6), Jesus 7
If Arsenal’s first goal was evidence of their growing threat from corners and the second the result of an excellently crafted team goal, the third scored by Vieira was all about individual quality.
The Portuguese playmaker, making his first Premier League start, received a square pass from Saka and lashed an unstoppable drive from distance into the bottom corner to all but settle the contest within five minutes of the restart.
It was an unusually subdued display from Brentford who have made a habit of bloodying the noses of Big-Six opponents at the Gtech Community Stadium since earning promotion last year.
Fábio Vieira puts the game to bed with a fantastic goal on his full Premier League debut!
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 18, 2022pic.twitter.com/lGJhVgVmcW
Ivan Toney had precious little service to feed off in his first appearance since earning a maiden call-up to England’s squad for the Nations League fixtures against Italy and Germany. The striker’s best moment came when the Bees were already behind by three goals when he flicked the ball up and volleyed fractionally over from an inventive free-kick routine.
With 10 minutes to go, Toney thought he had earned his side a penalty after being fouled only for the linesman to intervene and flag him offside from Mikkel Damsgaard’s cross.
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There was still time for some history to be made too as Mikel Arteta introduced academy prospect Ethan Nwaneri as a substitute, the teenager becoming the Premier League’s youngest-ever player at the age of 15 years and 181 days old.
Nwaneri broke a record set by Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott, who was 16 years and 30 days old when he played for former club Fulham against Wolves in May 2019.
Arteta: Nwaneri was ready, he plays with no fear
When asked how he informed Nwaneri that he would be involved with the first-team this weekend, Arteta joked: “Trust me it’s better not to tell them, just throw them in and see what happens!
“I told him yesterday that he was going to be with us and that I want him to experience how it is to be in the hotel, our preparation for the game, to be around the boys and that he had to be ready. If you are on that bench you have to be ready and the boy has that look in his eyes, he’s ready.”
15 years and 181 days.
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 18, 2022
The youngest player in Premier League history.
Congratulations, Ethan Nwaneri
@ArsenalAcademy pic.twitter.com/52pnzERNM8
When asked what he said to him before his introduction as a 91st-minute substitute, Arteta said: “Congratulations and enjoy it. That’s it.”
“All the decision that we take, that I take is for the club. It’s not for me, it’s not for the player it’s because we believe that he has a talent that has to be developed incredibly in the next two to three years and we will see how we manage that.”
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