Arteta continues to lead the Premier League table. Who can stop them?
Arsenal continues to dominate. Arteta’s tactics were spot on. Merino and Saka secure another 3 points. Arsenal this season looks very firm, no silly mistakes and half-hearted performances.
Arteta’s team, despite being much stronger in comparison to last season, looks more focused and motivated. They really are giving their all week to week. The set pieces are so perfect that they almost resemble a Symphony.
This shows the clarity in their vision and the belief that Arteta has instilled in them. Arteta has many more options; therefore, he can maintain the quality in the starting eleven despite crucial players’ injuries.
Timeline
- 36’ GOAL! Merino (Arsenal): Sustained pressure down the right end with White darting to the byline and clipping a teasing cross into the six-yard box. Merino arrives late between the centre-backs and powers a bouncing header past Kelleher to give Arsenal a deserved 1-0 lead.
- 90+1’ GOAL! Saka(Arsenal): Brentford commit bodies forward and Arsenal spring a rapid counter, Merino sliding a perfectly weighted through ball into Saka’s stride on the right. Cutting inside his marker, Saka whips a low left-footed strike that Kelleher gets a touch on, but the ball loops over him and drops over the line to seal the points at 2-0.
Final Score: Arsenal 2-0 Brentford
Tactical Breakdown
Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Brentford was a controlled tactical performance. It was built on structure and patience rather than chaos. Arteta set his side up to dominate the ball. And pinning Brentford back with high full-backs and a box midfield around Merino and Zubimendi, starving the visitors of clean counters.
The opener summed up Arsenal’s design: a 14-pass move involving all 10 outfield players. Ending with Ben White overlapping, receiving on the right. And clipping a perfect cross for Merino to head down and in. That wide overload repeatedly forced Brentford’s wing-backs deep and killed their pressing triggers
Brentford’s best spell came from set plays and long diagonals, targeting Arsenal’s makeshift back line. Kevin Schade’s free header, brilliantly tipped onto the bar by Raya. It was the warning that Arteta’s men occasionally lost compactness when their press arrived a second late.
In response, Arsenal slowed the tempo, recycled possession through Rice, and tightened their rest-defense. With Calafiori and White holding a conservative line to sweep up clearances. Brentford’s late changes,Igor Thiago, Henderson, and Damsgaard which added physicality but not clarity.
The second goal, in stoppage time, came exactly as Arteta wanted. Merino winning it, threading Saka in behind a stretched Brentford shape. The winger’s left-footed strike finally beat Kelleher to seal a measured, title-race win
Standout Performers
- Bukayo Saka-Saka was the late-game dagger, finally killing off Brentford just as nerves were starting to creep in at the Emirates. Played through by Merino in stoppage time, he made amends for an earlier big miss by squeezing his finish over the line. A reward for constantly threatening the space behind and attacking his full-back.
- Mikel Merino-Merino put in a complete, grown-up midfield display, mixing control with incision at key moments. He opened the scoring with a well-timed header from Ben White’s cross, scoring in back‑to‑back league games and confirming the extra goal threat he has added since joining Arsenal.
- Martin Zubimendi-Zubimendi was the quiet controller, doing the dirty work that allowed Merino and Saka to shine. His positioning in front of the back line cut off Brentford counters, mirroring the screening and interception-heavy role he became known for at Real Sociedad before his move to Arsenal.
On the ball, he kept Arsenal ticking with simple but brave passes through the first line of pressure, showing why his consistency and reading of the game have made him such a highly rated holding midfielder.
Manager Reaction
🚨🗣️ Mikel Arteta: “Mikel Merino knew we had a center-forward problem and he stepped up. He knew we lost Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.”
“Last season he did it but this year he has taken it to another level.” pic.twitter.com/sKcGxG45hd
— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) December 3, 2025
Mikel Arteta:
“Mikel Merino knew we had a center-forward problem and he stepped up. He knew we lost Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.”
“Last season he did it but this year he has taken it to another level.”
Stats
Arsenal 2 : 0 Brentford
▪ xG: 2.22 – 0.55
▪ xThreat: 1.1 – 0.95
▪ Possession: 62.2% – 37.8%
▪ Field Tilt: 75.3% – 24.7%
▪ Def Action Height: 52.0 – 37.6Donations https://t.co/nlgfzDqYhs pic.twitter.com/GCNpDL6oh8
— markstats bot (@markstatsbot) December 3, 2025
Effects on the Premier League Table
Arsenal are enjoying a comfortable lead at the top of the table. They will look forward to continuing this lead over City. One slip and Pep can ruin it all for them. Areta and his boys are ready for next week’s challenge.
After Matchday 14 Day 1, the table looks like this:
Fan Reactions
The clean sheets continue. pic.twitter.com/HtKddpqI85
— AfcVIP⁴⁹ (@VipArsenal) December 3, 2025
Conclusion
Arsenal’s defense looks solid as a mountain. They are conceding almost none, and clean sheets are just getting piled. Arteta really has finally mastered the art of conceding the least and scoring enough to get the 3 points.
Set-piece play plays a major role for Arsenal. They have mastered it like an art. It’s a spectacle to watch them, how they are so structured and synced during set pieces, especially. Their minds and bodies seem almost perfectly synced, like a symphony.
