Arsenal has climbed back into second place in the Premier League following a 3-1 victory over Brentford, showing little urgency to make additions during the January transfer window.Mikel Arteta’s squad secured the win on Wednesday, overtaking Nottingham Forest and narrowing the gap to league leaders Liverpool to six points.
“If there’s an opportunity, we’ll look at it,” Arteta commented regarding potential transfers. “I really like my players. I truly value what we have, as there is a lot of quality and commitment from all of them.”
Among those players is 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri, who made his first Premier League start in place of the injured Bukayo Saka. Nwaneri played a key role in the second half, assisting goals from Mikel Merino and Gabriel Martinelli.
Brentford initially took the lead in the 13th minute at Gtech Community Stadium with a goal from Bryan Mbeumo. However, Gabriel Jesus equalized just before the half-hour mark, marking his sixth goal in the last four matches. Merino put Arsenal ahead in the 50th minute, and Martinelli extended the lead just three minutes later.
This victory marks Arsenal’s second consecutive win without Saka, who is expected to be out until at least March due to a torn right hamstring suffered during a 5-1 win against Crystal Palace on December 21. The team has now extended its unbeaten streak to 12 games across all competitions.
While Liverpool has a game in hand, Arsenal will face Brighton on Saturday, while Liverpool hosts Manchester United on Sunday. Brentford remains in 12th place and has lost three of its last four Premier League matches.
In addition to the match, several Arsenal players were affected by a virus leading up to the game, according to Arteta. Kai Havertz was sent home due to illness, and Declan Rice only participated as a substitute in the 78th minute.
“These things happen. There are always challenges, including infections and viruses, so I try to delay the lineup announcement as late as possible because you can wake up to unexpected surprises,” Arteta explained.
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