Arsenal's Different World in the Middle and End of the Week

LONDON, SUNDAY — The results of matches over the past week show that Arsenal seems to be living in two different worlds. Their performance is highly focused and energetic during midweek in the Champions League, but consistently "flat" and easily "shaken" on weekends in the Premier League.

The reaction of the spectators at Emirates Stadium was enough to reflect the drastic difference in results and performance. Earlier this week, when Arsenal defeated Real Madrid 3-0, the fans remained in the stands after the match ended to show their appreciation to the team.

That was not the case when Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by mediocre Brentford at the same stadium on Sunday (13/4/2025) early morning WIB. Some spectators left their seats before injury time. They could not believe that the Gunners could regain the lead with ten men.

"The attitude (of the players)," said Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta when asked whether his team lacked energy. "If you look, we were able to create two more chances after playing with ten men. You cannot say it’s about energy, but it’s an issue of attitude," he continued.

Arsenal took the lead through a goal by Thomas Partey, inspired by Declan Rice's dribbling action and a quick throw by David Raya. With 17 minutes of regular time remaining, the visiting team equalized through a goal by Yoane Wissa, which stemmed from a defensive coordination error by Arsenal.

Interestingly, the equalizing goal was scored just minutes after Arteta substituted four players at once. Several key players were rested, including the goal scorer Partey. Key players who started the match as substitutes, such as Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, were brought on.

Arteta rotated his squad in preparation for the second leg of the quarterfinal against Madrid, scheduled for next Thursday. This urgency also led to Rice being substituted a minute after Brentford's goal. Despite this, Rice, who contributed one assist, remains one of the key figures in Arsenal's attacking lineup.

As a result of the massive rotation, Arsenal was forced to play with ten players starting from the 85th minute. Veteran midfielder Jorginho suffered an injury, while the home team had already used up all their substitution quotas. Moreover, Arteta very rarely makes five substitutions in a single match.

Last week, Arsenal also dropped full points after taking the lead at Everton's home. There are similarities besides the result of the match which ended 1-1, Arteta rotated five main players in both matches. He prioritized the Champions League agenda in the middle of the week.

Arteta is realistic. Rotation is a must because many key players are injured. The Premier League is also used as a "sacrifice" because it is already difficult to catch up with the leader of the standings, Liverpool. "With this result, of course, (winning the title) is getting harder to happen," said Arteta.

The rotation decision also affected the performance of “Si Meriam”. In addition to not fielding full strength, their balance was also disturbed by many changes in the middle of the match. Arteta's “white flag” signal regarding the league title race was also reflected in the players' attitudes.

Arsenal players, including Partey, were also not too disappointed after the draw. He immediately focused on Madrid's home ground. "We know what to do now. We have to go there (Madrid) with the mentality to win," Partey said.

With that result, Arsenal is still in second place in the standings with 63 points from 32 matches. Liverpool, who will face West Ham on Sunday night WIB, leads with 73 points from 31 matches. Liverpool only needs three more wins to secure the title.

Despite the result, Arsenal did face a very different defensive approach than they did against Madrid. Brentford played an extra low block for most of the game. Eleven of their players were tasked with defending, including Wissa who played as the spearhead.

Brentford did not place much emphasis on the counter-attack, unlike Madrid who had Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior on the sidelines in transition situations. That meant the visitors were limited to just three shots during the 90 minutes.

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank said his team's success stemmed from a perfect defensive structure and being able to limit the opponent's set pieces. "Credit to our players who didn't get frustrated with Arsenal's onslaught. We knew our moment would come," he said. (AP/REUTERS)