3 important factors for an Arsenal victory at Brentford

3. Stopping the Mbuemo/Wissa threat

Although Ivan Toney remains out of the picture, Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo are thriving without him and must be stopped if Arsenal want to earn any west London success.

Brentford have registered more goals in this league campaign (19) than at the same stage last year (18), and much of that owes to the in-form Mbeumo, whose six strikes and three assists are helping the Toney-less Bees march on.

Both his and Wissa’s darting runs in behind will pose a huge threat this weekend as they will let Arsenal keep possession and simply wait for the perfect opportunity to counter – something done to great effect against Bournemouth and Chelsea recently.

Care on the ball is therefore key to diminishing their impact while we search for an opener, but we can perhaps grant Brentford more possession if leading as they will struggle to break down our excellent defence, with William Saliba and Gabriel having a clear advantage in aerial duels.

Saliba, in particular, can match both forwards for space and will be a vital option in our bid to resist the hosts’ high press, with his excellent passing also likely to form a crucial factor in any attacking returns.

Nullifying the Mbeumo/Wissa partnership is all that separates us from a nice kickabout and three precious points.