Arsenal held by Brentford, fall 10 points behind Liverpool in title race

Yoane Wissa struck late in the second half to earn Brentford a share of the spoils in a lacklustre 1-1 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, a result that dents the Gunners’ Premier League title hopes, leaving them 10 points adrift of leaders Liverpool.

Mikel Arteta rotated his squad heavily following their impressive 3-0 Champions League victory over Real Madrid midweek, making five changes to the starting XI. However, the match lacked intensity and quality from the outset.

The first notable attempt didn’t arrive until the 20th minute, when Kristoffer Ajer tested David Raya after being slipped through by Bryan Mbeumo. Arsenal briefly thought they had broken the deadlock shortly after when Kieran Tierney nodded in Ethan Nwaneri’s cross, but the goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR review.

Leandro Trossard forced a save from Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken just before the interval with a low drive, Arsenal’s first effort on target.

The breakthrough came in the 61st minute through Thomas Partey, who rifled home after a brilliant solo run and assist from Declan Rice, who surged from deep within his own half to orchestrate the move.

Brentford responded in the 74th minute when Nathan Collins rose to nod a ball back across the Arsenal box, allowing Wissa to smartly flick the equaliser past Raya.

The Gunners, who sit second on the table, now turn their attention to the crucial Champions League second-leg showdown in Madrid on Wednesday, while Liverpool can extend their lead to 13 points when they host West Ham on Sunday.