August 13, (THEWILL) – The excitement and thrill of the English Premier League returned for another season with the typical upset that the EPL can conjure as new boys Brentford enjoyed a winning start to life in the top flight when they dispatched a dreary Arsenal side to take a 2-0 opening day win.
Sergi Canos opened the scoring to become the first Brentford player to score in the Premiership since May 1947. That year, Len Townsend was on target against Sunderland exactly 27,110 days ago, which translates to 74 years.
Canos’s historic achievement was followed by another in the second half by the impressive Christian Norgaard to complete the controlled but professional unpacking of the Gunners, who by all standards appeared to be the underdogs except by the possession stats which did not help them.
What made the insult of this loss all the more wrenching for Mikel Arteta’s team was not only the fact of their toothless attack but also that Brentford needed the Championship play-offs at the end of last term to secure qualification to the top flight which they had not been able to enter in so many years.
They retained their style of play and were able to outmanoeuvre the Gunners by hard pressing and impressive team play while remaining compact at the back to avoid lapses that Arsenal could exploit. They also took their chances efficiently, something that could not be said of the Gunners lacking the front duo of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, who were out with illness.
Arteta watched the unbundling of his defense like a Friday the 13th nightmare with expensive new defender Ben White. They had no answer to the second goal that came about through a long throw which the visitors failed to convincingly deal with, allowing Norgaard the space to nod it beyond Bernd Leno in goal.
Emile Smith-Rowe was in his usual impressive elements and was one of the few in the Gunners’ side that played a good game on the opening night. He was denied by Brentford’s goalkeeper David Raya as Arsenal improved after the break. Yet, as hard as they tried, they simply did not have the clinical edge to find the net.
All these worrying issues were there from the previous campaigns for the Gunners and that they are rearing their heads again is a demonstration of a technical issue because the manager was backed with funds to improve the squad and there are no signs that any improvements have taken place.
For the Brentford side, the chorus of their fans, who rightly changed “We’re top of the league” as they will be until more matches are played on Saturday, it is a story of inspired opportunity and the guts to take their chances. As brief as they may stay on top for, they have earned it and can look forward with confidence to their season now.
There is the danger of things going from bad to worse when Arsenal take on a Chelsea side with the firepower of the returned Romelu Lukaku, prepared to prove his worth, in their next game. If the fans asking for Arteta’s head now win more to their cause and Arsenal takes a disgraceful trouncing against Thomas Tuchel’s Blues, Arteta may be walking on thin ice this season.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
