Arsenal vs Brentford final score, result, highlights as Kai Havertz sends Gunners top of Premier League

Joe Wright

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Arsenal vs Brentford final score, result, highlights as Kai Havertz sends Gunners top of Premier League image

Not many will have predicted that Kai Havertz would become arguably the most important player in the Premier League title race, but you can't argue with the entertainment value of the drama.

With Arsenal labouring in their bid for a crucial second goal against Brentford — Bukayo Saka struggling to make inroads on a disciplined defence, Martin Odegaard pulling the strings with a little less finesse than usual, Declan Rice about ready to burst with frustration — the head of Havertz haunted the Bees, just as it did in the reverse fixture in November.

That day, the Germany international ghosted in at the far post to head in an 89th-minute winner. Today, with 86 minutes on the clock, he switched to the other stick, planting a header through the despairing arm-waving of goalkeeper Mark Flekken from six yards out.

The 2-1 win sent Arsenal top of the Premier League ahead of Liverpool's clash with Manchester City on Sunday. Mikel Arteta celebrated as though they might be staying there between now and the end of the season.

MORE: The latest Premier League standings in 2023/24

Arsenal vs Brentford final score

  Fulltime Goal scorers
Arsenal 2 Rice 19', Havertz 86'
Brentford 1 Wissa 45 + 3'

Confirmed lineups:

Arsenal (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Aaron Ramsdale (GK) — 4. Ben White, 2. William Saliba, 6. Gabriel, 15. Jan Kiwior (35. Oleksandr Zinchenko, 79') — 8. Martin Odegaard (5. Thomas Partey, 90+5'), 20. Jorginho (9. Gabriel Jesus, 70'), 41. Declan Rice — 7. Bukayo Saka, 29. Kai Havertz 19. Leandro Trossard (24. Reiss Nelson, 79')

Brentford (3-5-2, right to left): 1. Mark Flekken (GK) — 13. Mathias Jorgensen (24. Mikkel Damsgaard, 90'), 20. Kristoffer Ajer, 22. Nathan Collins — 30. Mads Roerslev, 15. Frank Onyeka (33. Yegor Yarmolyuk, 78'), 6. Christian Norgaard, 27. Viatly Janelt (14. Sam Ghoddos, 90'), 23. Keane Lewis-Potter — 17. Ivan Toney, 11. Yoane Wissa (7. Neal Maupay, 78')

MORE: The top scorers in this season's Premier League

This was a game that Arsenal dominated, but unlike in their recent goalscoring magnificence, they looked out of step. Declan Rice broke the deadlock with a well-timed run and leap after 19 minutes, but although Brentford seemed short of ideas beyond 'kick the ball away and hope everything turns out alright', Arsenal were short of the slick supremacy with which they have played in 2024.

That was summed up in first-half stoppage time, when Aaron Ramsdale — restored to the lineup for the ineligible David Raya, to much finger-wagging from Arteta towards the keeper's critics — dithered long enough on the ball to allow Yoane Wissa to close him down and block his attempted clearance into the net. The collective intake of breath around Emirates Stadium seemed to make the turf ripple.

After halftime, Brentford's sit-and-hope tactics developed into a far more proactive defensive display. Arsenal, despite 72 per cent of the ball, could only muster six attempts on target. The visitors produced four of their own, two of which nearly put them in front: Ramsdale redeemed his error by keeping out a close-range header from Nathan Collins and a speculative long-range half-volley from Ivan Toney, who was otherwise little more than a key grip on his supposed audition for a blockbuster summer transfer.

As the minutes ticked down, it began to feel like one of those games late last season, when Arsenal's surprise title challenge collapsed. But they didn't have Havertz then. Whatever his drawbacks, his lack of a defined role in which to excel, the 24-year-old remains a good bet when it comes to putting the ball in the net. When Ben White finally got a cross on target from Odegaard's clever pass, Havertz manoeuvred himself into space at the right-hand post and thumped a header through the gloves of Flekken.

The Emirates bellowed its approval right through seven minutes of added time. The celebrations at the final whistle were significant. This season, they really do believe, even if they still can't quite believe that it's Havertz making the difference.

Arsenal vs Brentford highlights

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Arsenal vs Brentford lineups, team news

Arteta was forced to rotate his goalkeepers with David Raya ineligible to face his parent club as Aaron Ramsdale came in for a first Premier League start since the reverse fixture in November.

Gabriel Martinelli was expected to feature but was omitted from the squad, with Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus on the bench.

Arsenal XI (4-3-3, right to left): Ramsdale (GK) — White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior — Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice — Saka, Havertz, Trossard.

Arsenal subs (9): Hein, Cedric, Zinchenko, Partey, Vieira, Smith Rowe, Nelson, Nketiah, Jesus

Thomas Frank has no change on his injury list with Bryan Mbeumo and Ethan Pinnock out until after the March international break.

Brentford XI (3-5-2, right to left): Flekken (GK) — Jorgensen, Ajer, Collins — Roerslev, Onyeka, Norgaard, Janelt, Lewis-Potter — Toney, Wissa.

Brentford subs (9): Strakosha, Maupay, Jensen, Ghoddos, Damsgaard, Baptiste, Yarmoliuk, Ji-soo, Arthur

Arsenal vs Brentford live stream, TV channel

Here's how to watch this Premier League match across selected areas of the world's major regions:

Region TV Streaming
USA NBC USA Network, Universo Fubo, Peacock, Universo NOW, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo
Canada —

Fubo Canada
UK Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League Sky GO, Now TV
Australia — Optus Sport
India — JioTV, Hotstar

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USA: This game is available on the NBC USA Network with streaming options on Fubo and Peacock. Spanish language options are on Universo and Telemundo.

Canada: Every Premier League game this season is live-streaming exclusively via Fubo.

Australia: Fans in Australia can stream every match live and on-demand on Optus Sport.

UK: This game is available via live broadcast on Sky Sports with streaming options on Sky GO and Now TV.

Joe Wright

Joe Wright Photo

Joe is a Senior Editor at Sporting News. He was previously a sub editor and writer for Goal.com before spending six years as part of the Stats Perform editorial news service, covering major global sports including football, tennis, boxing, NBA, rugby union and athletics. Joe has reported live on some of the biggest games in football, including two UEFA Champions League finals, Euro 2016, the Confederations Cup 2017 and the 2018 World Cup final at the end of a month in Russia.