Brentford will be looking to get back to winning ways in the Premier League on Saturday evening when they take on Arsenal at the Gtech Community Stadium.
The Bees, currently 11th in the standings, slumped to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool before the international break and will need to work hard to bounce back in this match. Arsenal, on the other hand, are in third place in the league table at the moment and eased past Burnley by a comfortable 3-1 scoreline at home in their last game.
With an exciting Premier League game in west London on the cards, here are the key battles to watch out for at the weekend.
#Christian Norgaard vs Martin Odegaard
Midfield battles generally determine the flow of games, and the fixture between Brentford and Arsenal will be no different.
Christian Norgaard is expected to start in the No.6 role for Brentford and stick to his primary task of breaking the opposition’s attacks. He should partner and Vitaly Janelt and Mathias Jensen in the middle of the park and form a strong base for the creative players to thrive in the final third.
For Arsenal, Martin Odegaard is likely to be back after missing the last game against Burnley following a concussion injury. The Gunners’ creator-in-chief, the Norwegian will look to take up important spaces on the pitch and use his creativity and vision to create openings for the forwards. Due to Odegaard’s ability to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates in attack, Norgaard is expected to have his hands full in the upcoming fixture.
#Bukayo Saka vs Mads Roerslev & Ben Mee
Bukayo Saka is Arsenal’s biggest threat going forward. The England international has been a menace for most teams this season, and his dribbling, technical security and link-up play combined with his finishing has made him one of the biggest talents in the Premier League. His qualities on and off the ball are well-documented and will help Arsenal find holes in Brentford’s low block.
A stern test beckons for the home side’s defence, especially the left-hand side of their back five. Ben Mee and Mads Roerslev have to communicate very well and be on their toes throughout the game to keep Saka quiet. The duo hold a significant aerial advantage over Saka – something that will give them the upper hand if the Bees can force Arsenal into a long-ball game.
#Bryan Mbeumo & Yoane Wissa vs Arsenal centre-backs
The absence of Ivan Toney is finally starting to show for Brentford, as after a promising start for Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa up front, the duo have found it difficult to score goals regularly of late. Yet, Thomas Frank has to keep backing them and expect to come good against Arsenal, who have the joint-best defensive record in the division.
William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes have been great as a pair at the back again and they will be confident of keeping of Mbeumo and Wissa quiet. Overall there are key battles across the whole pitch but this one in particular could be the difference come the full-time whistle.
