Madueke then created another scoring opportunity, working the space for a close-range shot that was beaten away by Brentford's goalkeeper, Caoimhin Kelleher. Brentford responded with a bright period, during which David Raya was forced to tip Kevin Schade's header from a corner onto the crossbar.

Brentford had found a foothold in the contest, but Arsenal maintained plenty of threat leading up to halftime. Rico Henry made vital interventions to deny Madueke twice in quick succession, once with a sliding tackle to smother a low ball across goal, and again by challenging Madueke at a crucial moment inside the area.

Momentum shifted in favor of Brentford after the restart, and the tension inside the Emirates Stadium intensified as the Premier League's second top scorer, Igor Thiago, entered the game as part of a triple change. With just one goal separating the sides after an hour, Arteta responded by bringing on Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka, helping Arsenal grow into the second half.

Riccardo Calafiori and Declan Rice each called Kelleher into action with shots from range, with the latter effort almost leading to the game's second goal. However, Merino failed to adjust on the follow-up and turned the ball wide, missing the chance to extend Arsenal's lead.

Arsenal ultimately secured the win, moving them five points clear at the top of the Premier League table.