Pepe is a luxury they can’t afford.
Balogun is a reserve player, at best.
Everything coming through Xhaka, but Smith Rowe & Martinelli not getting enough of the ball to create a decent chance.
Too much heads down dribbling for an Arteta team.
Arsenal don’t have the talent to play out from the back, because Leno’s feet are not good enough and the movement in the middle of the park isn’t good enough to bale out the central defenders getting a bad pass under pressure.
If Arsenal get anything, it’ll come from their left wing g, probably a Tierney pull back or ball in behind the defence.
Brentford’s high press energy is outstanding. Whether they have 95 minutes of it in them is TBD.
They’ve missed a couple of opportunities to have a 2 goal margin, which they may come to regret.
This looks like a 1-1, with Arsenal’s subs energizing a lackluster performance and grabbing an equalizer. However, if Arsenal open up looking for a goal, it could just as easily be a 3-0 spanking given Arsenal’s frailty.
If I were Arteta, I’d be making reservations (under a fake name) for New Zealand vacation in January…just in case!