With Manchester City v Liverpool earlier in the day, Arsenal will be hoping to move up the Premier League standings by beating Brentford in the late game on Saturday. City are currently first with 28 points, while Liverpool and Arsenal are levelled on points with 27. Once again, Brentford has been playing decent football this year even without the services of their top goalscorer, and they find themselves in the middle of the pack with 16 points from 12 matches. A win here, however, could see the Bees climb up to the 9th or even the 8th place. This is a London derby and a lot is at stake for two teams that like to play an attacking brand of football. Find out what to expect in terms of the best betting picks with our Brentford v Arsenal prediction.
Brentford FC – Latest Team News
Brentford had a rough start to the season as they recorded just one win from their opening eight matches, although they did manage to draw four of them. This somewhat difficult period was followed by three straight wins. First, it was the 3:0 win at home against Burnley on October 21st, followed by a historic 0:2 win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, and then a 3:2 victory against West Ham at home. Just when things were starting to look great for Brentford, a trip to Anfield ended in a 3:0 defeat against Liverpool. Оne could make a case that the Bees had some decent chances in that game, and should have at least scored one.
The international break came along, perhaps at a good moment for Brentford to regroup and prepare themselves for this big game against Arsenal. An advantage for the home side going into this Brentford v Arsenal prediction is that Thomas Frank’s team has less international call-ups, so his players might be sharper and more rested.
💬 Ivan Toney's return
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) November 24, 2023
"I’m very excited for him to be close and back in the team. He’s been training with us. It’s been nice for all of us, but mainly for Ivan. I know his focus is to get back and hit the ground running. I’m looking forward to it" pic.twitter.com/IDHYPdilxR
The bad news for Frank is that he still has an entire lineup in the treatment root with as many as seven starters out with different injuries. Josh Dasilva, Rico Henry, Kevin Schade, and Aaron Hickey are injured. Ivan Toney is still serving a suspension for his gambling activities, and Keane Lewis-Potter is a major doubt for this London derby.
Arsenal Going Strong Despite Injuries
Providing accurate betting picks is all about analyzing all the different aspects that go into a game, including both sides, the pitch, the weather, everything it matters. As far as the Gunners are concerned, last year, they pushed Manchester City all the way and were really close to winning the title having led the league for the majority of the season.
This year, they started on a high note winning the Community Shield against City, so that shows growth right there. Arsenal is also doing well in the Champions League as they are on top of their group with 9 points and look set to qualify for the knockouts.
Their improvement last year allowed them to recruit high quality players this summer.
Declan Rice smoothly integrated into Arsenal’s midfield and David Raya secured the number one goalkeeper position over Aaron Ramsdale, Jurrien Timber faced an ACL injury in August. Additionally, Kai Havertz, despite the hefty £65 million transfer from Chelsea in the summer, is yet to fully validate his worth. However, his role at left-back for Germany during November’s international break highlighted an untapped versatility within him.
Having said that, Arteta’s team has been progressing steadily over the initial four months of the season, although not quite with the same relentless dominance as seen in the 2022/23 season.
“We’re in a really strong position for the international break,” he said. “We need to get players back because, at the moment, we have eight players not available and that’s a lot. In December we have 11 games coming up, so we’d better get everyone ready.”
Arteta speaking at a press conference before the international break
Brentford v Arsenal – The Stats
The Bees are entering the upcoming contest on a 14-game unbeaten streak in Premier League London derbies (W8 D6), setting a club record. Only Arsenal (W11 D5) holds a longer unbeaten streak in derby matches within the capital.
Adding more excitement to Saturday’s clash, Brentford’s last derby defeat was against Arsenal in September 2022, where they faced a 3-0 loss as Mikel Arteta’s team delivered a polished away performance.
Thomas Frank’s team have scored in 19 straight Premier League home matches since a goalless draw against Chelsea back in October 2022.
Despite Brentford loanee David Raya being unavailable for Arsenal, the team from north London has displayed a strong defensive performance on their travels this season. Arteta’s squad has conceded the fewest away goals (3) in the league, showcasing a robust defense. However, their sole Premier League defeat of the season, a contentious 1-0 loss to Newcastle, did occur on the road.
While Arsenal is often associated with fluid attacking play, they have been highly effective in dead-ball situations this season. They have scored the most goals from set pieces, including penalties (14), and have conceded the fewest goals from such situations in the league (2).
Despite Arsenal’s formidable record, Brentford, known for their strength in set-pieces, aims to challenge them. Current statistics suggest that Thomas Frank’s side should have earned more than just two goals from a league-topping 67 set-piece shots this season.
The consensus among betting experts is that Arsenal has yet to hit top form this season. Analyzing their numbers reveals that they’ve been slow starters, albeit their reputation for high-quality football.
This Brentford v Arsenal match will be Arteta’s 200th game in charge of Arsenal. The question remains whether Brentford can make this milestone one to forget for him and his team.
Brentford v Arsenal Prediction
Our last betting pick was a winner, and we have prepared the best tip for Manchester City v Liverpool as well. Sign up for our paid service, and you will get access to our top betting predictions not just for this game, but for the entire weekend featuring some top matches, such as Milan v Fiorentina, Juve v Inter, and Newcastle v Chelsea.
