Mikel Arteta lamented Arsenal’s inability to control Brentford’s physical set-piece tactics as the Premier League leaders dropped vital points in a 1-1 draw.
Mikel Arteta conceded that Arsenal were forced to “pray” during their 1-1 draw against Brentford as their title charge faltered.
Despite taking the lead, the Gunners struggled with the Bees’ physical approach and set-piece dominance.
Arteta noted, “The chaos that is in and around that ball is very, very difficult to defend,” as a long throw-in eventually led to Lewis Keane-Potter’s headed equalizer.
The result leaves Arsenal just four points ahead of Manchester City with a crucial trip to the Etihad looming.
Defensive heroics from Cristhian Mosquera and Declan Rice prevented a total collapse, but the absence of key figures like Kai Havertz was felt.
Arteta emphasized the difficulty of the matchup, stating, “against them, that’s not enough… then you have to pray because they are exceptional.”