Preview: Brentford vs Arsenal - prediction, team news, lineups

Premier League leaders Arsenal have a peculiar curse to banish when they visit the Gtech Community Stadium for Thursday's London derby with surprise package Brentford.

While the Gunners have gone unbeaten in 12 straight midweek top-flight games, they have failed to win - or even score - in any of their last three to take place on Thursdays themselves.

Match preview

Benefitting from the absence of former key cog Granit Xhaka - who at least got to share a heart-warming moment with Mikel Arteta in the centre circle - Arsenal strode past Sunderland 3-0 last weekend to prolong their fabulous start to February.

Viktor Gyokeres's brace and yet another Martin Zubimendi strike saw Arsenal make light work of their newly-promoted foes, but red and white smiles turned to scowls when Manchester City pulled off the most extraordinary of extraordinary Anfield comebacks.

Nevertheless, Arteta's men still hold a healthy six-point lead at the summit of the Premier League table, and victory last weekend saw them end the day nine points clear at the top for the first time since the 2003-04 Invincibles campaign - omens?

Seemingly fully recovered from their sticky January patch, the Gunners have won four on the spin across all competitions and have also rediscovered their defensive steel, keeping three successive clean sheets against Sunderland, Leeds United and Chelsea.

The leaders can now register four straight shut-outs for the first time since their 812-minute streak without conceding in November, and since the start of the 2022-23 campaign, they have avoided defeat in 19 of their 20 London derbies away from home.

That sequence includes a 3-1 triumph at the Gtech Community Stadium on New Year's Day 2025, before the Gunners also took down Keith Andrews's side 2-0 in December, extending their unbeaten run against Thursday's hosts to an excellent eight games.

Arsenal will not expect to have it all their own way against their European-chasing hosts, though, especially as Brentford return to their headquarters on the back of two tremendous away days at Aston Villa and Newcastle United.

Andrews's 10 men somehow left Villa Park with a 1-0 triumph under their belts before stunning the Magpies 3-2 in gameweek 25, where Igor Thiago banked his 17th goal of the Premier League season and Dango Ouattara struck a late winner.

Despite entering gameweek 26 in seventh place and just five points off Manchester United in fourth - before the Red Devils play West Ham United - Brentford may actually not welcome a return to their own turf, considering they have won five of their last six away games in all competitions.

In contrast, the Bees have prevailed in just two of their last five at home, have failed to score in two of their last three at the Gtech Community Stadium, and are also facing another strange and spooky negative omen.

Brentford have only been beaten in back-to-back Premier League home games once since the start of the 2024-25 season, but the first in that sequence was a 2-0 defeat to Forest, and the second? Their loss to Arsenal.

Brentford Premier League form:

Brentford form (all competitions):

Arsenal Premier League form:

Arsenal form (all competitions):

Team News

Neither Martin Odegaard (unspecified) nor Bukayo Saka (hip) were in the Arsenal matchday squad during the visit of Sunderland, and it is still not clear whether either man will return for the London derby, but the ever-secretive Arteta may not give a firm yes or no either way.

Two definite absentees for Arsenal are Max Dowman (ankle) and Mikel Merino - who recently shared a photo confirming his foot operation - while Leandro Trossard has emerged as a doubt with the suspected calf issue he sustained last weekend.

Gabriel Martinelli is primed and ready to take Trossard's place, though, while Viktor Gyokeres will no doubt displace Gabriel Jesus after his double against Sunderland, which made him the Premier League player with the most goals in all competitions since the turn of the year (6).

Brentford boss Andrews also has attacking absentees to manage on Thursday, as Kevin Schade serves the second of a two-game ban for his sending-off at Villa, while Reiss Nelson cannot face his parent club but would not have started anyway.

Indeed, Andrews will surely stick with the same formula from the Bees' success at St James' Park, although Jordan Henderson may be fearing for his place after being withdrawn on the 56-minute mark for Yehor Yarmoliuk.

Hotshot Thiago enters the derby having scored nine times in his last 10 top-flight home matches, but the home side are still missing knee victims Fabio Carvalho, Antoni Milambo and Arsenal youth graduate Josh Dasilva.

Brentford possible starting lineup:

Kelleher; Kayode, Van den Berg, Ajer, Henry; Janelt, Henderson; Ouattara, Jensen, Lewis-Potter; Thiago

Arsenal possible starting lineup:

Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Havertz, Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Gyokeres, Martinelli

We say: Brentford 1-2 Arsenal

Brentford should not adopt a backs-against-the-wall approach to the visit of Arsenal - unlike many other teams - as Andrews's men have momentum on their side after two huge wins and can play without fear against the league leaders.

Arteta's streak of clean sheets may therefore be broken on Thursday, but a rejuvenated Gunners attack can exploit any gaps left open by their London rivals and keep Man City at bay for a little while longer.

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