Brentford vs Arsenal LIVE: Premier League result and reactions as substitute Kai Havertz scores winner
Brentford 0-1 Arsenal: Havertz’s winner takes the Gunners to the top of the table
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Arsenal went top of the Premier League as Kai Havertz headed home a late winner against Brentford.
After the draw between Manchester City and Liverpool had opened the door for Arsenal to take top spot, it looked for so long like it would be a night to forget for Mikel Arteta’s side as they struggled to breakdown aresolute home defence.
But a piece of Bukayo Saka brilliance put a goal on a plate for Havertz, and the German sharply directed a downward header past Mark Flekken to snatch a 1-0 victory.
The visitors had barely got out of first gear on a chilly London evening and failed to create many clear chances, while Aaron Ramsdale - standing in for the ineligible David Raya in goal - endured a couple of nervy moments at the other end.
Declan Rice spared his goalkeeper’s blushes with a last-ditch first half clearance, while Oleksandr Zinchenko also produced a timely clearance off the line to ensure Ramsdale’s goal was not breached.
And that alllowed Saka and Havertz to combine to secure three points that take Arteta’s men above both the defending champions and Liverpool to head the Premier League pack after 13 matches.
Follow all the reaction below plus get the latest Premier League odds and tips right here:
Kai Havertz is Arsenal’s hero, but under-pressure Aaron Ramsdale fails to impress
Kai Havertz stole the headlines with a late winner to lift Arsenal to the summit of the Premier League, but Aaron Ramsdale will be left relieved to walk away with a clean sheet after an unconvincing performance at Brentford.
Brentford remained determined in their tactics and press, forcing the game to almost grind to a halt at times. It looked to be heading for a goalless draw before Havertz headed into the back of the net from close range to secure all three points for the Gunners in the 89th minute and ensure they finish the weekend top of the table for the first time this season.
Lengthy stoppages accompanied every set piece and neither side imposed themselves on the match until the inspired decision to swap Gabriel Martinelli with Havertz paid off in the final minutes.
Before the winner, much of the focus surrounded Ramsdale who had not started in goal since 7 September, but with David Raya ineligible to face his parent club, was handed a rare opportunity to impress.
Kai Havertz is Arsenal’s hero, but under-pressure Aaron Ramsdale fails to impress
Brentford 0-1 Arsenal: The substitute’s late goal decided a mistake-filled encounter to send Arsenal top of the Premier League
Arteta on Aaron Ramsdale’s performance
Mikel Arteta was rather blunt in his post-match response to a question on whether Aaron Ramsdale has done enough to get back in Arsenal’s starting XI.
The Gunners boss replied: “This is football. I am so happy with the team and the way we perform. We get a clean sheet and we move on.”
Arteta added that Ramsdale seemingly grew into the match in the second half and praised his courage to comeback from a shaky start.
“Courage, he has big courage and big personality and that’s why we love him,” said the Spaniard.
And Thomas Frank also speaks to TNT Sports
“Of course, it is [hard to take], a tough one in this beautiful game. We lost a game where we did so many things right. It should have been a draw - there were two big chances for each team. We managed to keep them very, very quiet throughout the game, managed to keep Saka and Martinelli quiet. Saka had one fantastic moment that decided the game. Either team could have won it.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t take our moments. It was another good performance from us - we’ve played 13 games and had 12 good performances.”
Mikel Arteta offers his reaction
“It’s great, we are so happy,” the Arsenal manager tells TNT Sports. “The team competed extraordinarily well. We should have scored much earlier than that but it is a really tough place to come. I thought we showed a lot of resilience, and were patient when we needed to be.
“Delighted [for Kai Havertz]. You can see from the reaction of the rest of the team how much they love him. He won the game for us.
“I am so happy with the team and the way it performed. I think the team was exceptional today. You need moments to go your way, fine margins to win the game. We are exactly where we want to be and it shows that the team is in a really good place. It is a dream to work with them.”
FT: Brentford 0-1 Arsenal
This was a nice touch from the Arsenal players at full time, getting around Aaron Ramsdale after a relatively difficult night to continue a difficult season. The goalkeeper looked properly shaken at one point in the first half, but he - with a bit of help from Declan Rice and Oleksandr Zinchenko - kept Brentford scoreless.
FT: Brentford 0-1 Arsenal
So Arsenal go top of the Premier League, one point ahead of Manchester City and two clear of Liverpool. Tottenham will join Manchester City in second if they beat Aston Villa in another tasty encounter tomorrow.
A valuable three points for Mikel Arteta to take back across London. Brentford have an excellent record on their own patch, and deserve immense credit for how well they performed given the injuries they are dealing with, but it wasn’t quite enough to hold on to a point.
Kai Havertz on his late goal
“It feels amazing. I’ve been working hard for these moments, and I’m just happy to help the team with that. It was a brilliant goal and a brilliant pass. We trained this routine quite a lot - Bukayo loves to play that ball.
“Football is always hard work. Nothing comes from itself, you have to work and keep belief. The last couple of months have been tough for me but Ive tried to put my ego aside because the team comes first. I’ve been so thankful for the fans. It’s always hard when they pay a lot of money for you, but I’m thankful to them for keeping supporting me.”
FT: Brentford 0-1 Arsenal
Far from a classic but Arsenal won’t mind too much - they go top of the Premier League thanks to Kai Havertz’s late winner. The visitors had huffed and puffed for so long, comfortably below their best against a resolute Brentford, but one bit of quality from Bukayo Saka was enough to give Havertz a simple header home and Arsenal the three points.
Aaron Ramsdale seemed to blow a serious sigh of relief as the whistle blew. Two major errors from the goalkeeper but it is a clean sheet in the book.
Brentford 0-1 Arsenal, 90 + 5 minutes
In comes a long throw, but Aaron Ramsdale collects...and that will be that!
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