Goals from William Saliba and Gabriel Jesus set them on their way in the first half and a stunner from Fabio Vieira sealed the win, as Mikel Arteta’s side responded superbly following their first setback of the season last-time out at Manchester United.
The victory means Arsenal have won six of their first seven games this season and sit atop the table on 19 points, one point clear of second-place Manchester City. Brentford have nine points and Thomas Frank’s side just weren’t at the races on Sunday.
This win underlines Arsenal’s progress: Their horrendous defeat at Brentford at the start of last season underlined all of the issues Arsenal had. Just over 12 months later, this convincing win underlined the progress they’ve made. A clear playing style with a young, hungry side who have been painstakingly recruited. Even with Martin Odegaard and Oleksandr Zinchenko out, Kieran Tierney and Vieira slotted in seamlessly as Arteta’s side dominated from start to finish. They are playing with confidence throughout the team and after a few years of building, this is what Arsenal wanted to become. The only issue is the fact that their squad looked pretty thin as a few injuries piled up with teenagers on the bench and Ethan Nwaneri, 15, became the youngest Premier League player in history when he came on late in the game. With the Europa League and League Cup coming up in the weeks after the international break, Arteta will be hoping his squad remains healthy to make the most of all of this positive momentum.
Brentford energy levels unusually low: It was a real off day for the Bees as they suffered their heaviest home defeat since being promoted to the Premier League. Thomas Frank’s side just weren’t at it as usually they push high, force teams into mistakes and pounce on loose balls. There was none of that on Sunday in a subdued display with Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbuemo isolated for large parts of this game. Brentford are usually
Xhaka, Partey give Gunners solid foundation: Much will be made about the movement and class of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Jesus and Vieira, and rightly so. But the solid foundation that Xhaka and Thomas Partey provide should not be overlooked. After returning from injury, Partey won the ball back time and time again and Xhaka just kept things ticking over nicely and was always an option for Martinelli and Tierney on the inside left channel. With Odegaard out, Arsenal’s deeper central midfielders needed to step up and they dictated the tempo of this game and gave the Gunners’ talented attackers the platform to wreck havoc.
Reaction from Granit Xhaka, Mikel Arteta, Gabriel Jesus, Thomas Frank
Granit Xhaka speaking to our partners in the UK at Sky Sports: “You see the different mentality this season. We kept going, working each other and are training like we play and have class with the individual players that can make a difference. Today you saw that. You have the class in the front and they make the difference. More than happy we are in a good way but a long way to go.”
Gabriel Jesus on Arsenal’s display: “It was amazing. From the start we showed what we want to do in the game. Play as always, to create chances and to finish and to score. That is what we did and that’s the most important thing for us to win the games.”
Thomas Frank on Arsenal: “We lost 3-0, to the number one in the Premier League. I said before they are a top side… They are top of the table so you cannot argue with that, they have done brilliant. Looking at the quality, they must be title contenders.”
Mikel Arteta on Arsenal’s evolution since the defeat at Brentford last season: “I described it as a building character day and a team has to evolve, has a journey together and have to go through hose moments and has to react. They can give up, question everybody and blame the other people. Or they can look in the mirror and take the lesson and move forward. Today you’ve seen a very different team.”
Arteta told the BBC what he is most pleased with over the last 12 months: “We stick together and in different moments we have belief in what we do. The outcome is days like today. To play the way we did against this team, they are a really good side, is a big credit to the boys. That is because in difficult moments you stick together.”
Tactical focus
Arsenal were allowed to have plenty of the ball and that was perhaps Brentford’s biggest mistake. The Bees are fine with letting opponents play out from the back and then pressing high to win it back but Arsenal often played direct with their initial pass forward and then got their stars on the ball very quickly. Bypassing that Brentford press is not easy to do but Arsenal make it look very straightforward.
William Saliba: Scored a header, kept Ivan Toney quiet and made some excellent interceptions when Brentford played direct. What a start to the season he’s having.
Granit Xhaka: Lovely assist for Jesus’ crucial second goal and wearing the captains armband in Odegaard’s absence, he did all of the little things well.
Gabriel Jesus: Great header, ran Brentford’s defense all over the place and Arsenal’s entire attack comes to life when he’s on the ball.
What’s next?
Brentford travel to Bournemouth on Saturday, Oct. 1, while Arsenal host Tottenham on the same day in what is a huge north London derby.
How to watch Brentford vs Arsenal live, stream link and start time
The Europa League win over Zurich, away to boot, was a very nice sign but an away win over Brentford would be a terrific indication that the Gunners’ mentality was unaffected by their loss to Manchester United. And how will Arsenal react if “behind” Man City or Spurs before kickoff.
Brentford, meanwhile, has played pretty darn good football but Ivan Toney and Company want to assert themselves as one of the top sides in the Premier League and holding serve against the Gunners could see them just three points behind Arsenal.
In-form players to keep an eye on
The attacking players have been rightly getting a lot of Arsenal love, but let’s focus on Albert Sambi Lokonga and Gabriel, who have became mainstays for the Gunners and will be key to holding down the fort if Thomas Partey cannot go.
The Bees are all about the team concept but Ivan Toney has really started to take hold of his chance to become an elite Premier League striker. He’s the total package.
Brentford team news, injuries, lineup
Sergi Canos is back in the squad. Ethan Pinnock (knee) and Christian Norgaard (tendonitis) are still out, while Kristoffer Ajer comes back in and so does Josh Dasilva.
Thomas Partey returns for this one, but Reiss Nelson (thigh), Mohamed Elneny (thigh), Martin Odegaard (knock), Oleksandr Zinchenko (knock) and Emile Smith-Rowe (groin) are all out. 15-year-old Ethan Nwaneri is on the bench for Arsenal.
Can Borussia Dortmund keep its position in the catbird seat with a Klassiker win over reigning champions Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Saturday?
Or will they former manager land a major blow for his new side, as Thomas Tuchel takes the reins of wounded Bayern. The 10-time defending champions fell out of first with a 2-1 loss to Bayer Leverkusen that sent Julian Nagelsmann packing (for North London?).
BVB is in pursuit of its first Meisterschale since the 2011-12 season, its eighth in history. It’s been all Bayern since then, as the Bavarians have claimed 10-consecutive league crowns.
Here’s the thing: If Bayern really had problems between its players and Nagelsmann, they weren’t totally manifesting themselves on the pitch. Bayern’s 72 goals are 17 more than anyone else in the Bundesliga and its 27 conceded are one better than second-place Union Berlin.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund.
How to watch Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund live, stream link and start time
Kick off: 12:30pm ET, Saturday TV Channel/Online:Stream via ESPN+
Updates: Scoreboard, stats, more at Scoreboard.nbcsports.com
Key storylines & star players
Bayern’s all about controlling the game, and it does so with aplomb thanks to Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka. The side has pace for days and has also gotten monstrous amounts of creativity from Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala. There’s no Robert Lewandowski, but Bayern spreads the goals around through Musiala (11), Choupo-Moting (10), and Serge Gnabry (9). Manuel Neuer’s out, but the club’s quickly filled his space with Yann Sommer.
Dortmund slipped itself a couple of matches ago, a 2-2 draw in the Revierderby, but it bounded back with a 6-1 demolition of Koln. Bundesliga assist hero Raphael Guerreiro scored in that game while Sebastien Haller and Marco Reus both posted braces. Reus remains the heart of the club and has been a boon for Edin Terzic. A wild card is USMNT star Giovanni Reyna, who has posted terrific advanced stats in Bundesliga play but is still mainly just getting 15-20 minute cameos if he plays at all for BVB.
Bayern Munich team news, injuries, lineup options
QUESTIONABLE: Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (back), Paul Wanner (adductor), Jamal Musiala (hamstring), Mathys Tel (muscular), Arijon Ibrahimovic (virus). OUT: Lucas Hernandez (ACL), Manuel Neuer (leg)
Borussia Dortmund team news, injuries, lineup options
QUESTIONABLE: Mateu Morey (fitness), Thomas Meunier (back), Youssoufa Moukoko (ligaments), Karim Adeyemi (muscular), Giovanni Reyna (illness).
Fulham have struggled in recent weeks as they’ve lost two in a row in the Premier League and then their incredible meltdown at Manchester United in the FA Cup quarterfinal saw them crash out of the competition with Aleksandar Mitrovic, Willian and manager Marco Silva all sent off. Add in that Mitrovic and Silva were both charged by the FA and it was an absolute mess with Fulham’s talisman losing the plot as he pushed the referee. The Cottagers will be hoping for a straightforward trip, and win, down to the South Coast to get them back on track.
How to watch Bournemouth vs Fulham live, stream link and start time
Kick off: 10am ET, Saturday TV Channel: Peacock Online: Stream via Peacock Premium
Key storylines & in-form players to watch
Gary O’Neil has set Bournemouth up to be dangerous on the counter attack and that works well against teams who love to dominate possession. Fulham love to do that and this tactic could suit the Cherries in this game. Dominic Solanke has led the line superbly, Neto has been excellent in goal and Dango Ouatrara has been sensational since arriving in January as his speed and direct running has given Bournemouth an extra dimension.
Fulham have just lost their way after an incredible season so far. They are still in the battle for European qualification as they sit in the top 10 and now they have to finish the campaign strong to keep positive vibes flowing. Marco Silva wants them to snap into challenges, press high and keep the ball when they have it and they are horrible to play against.
Bournemouth team news, injuries, lineup options
QUESTIONABLE: Junior Stanislas (undisclosed), Marcus Tavernier (thigh), Illia Zabarnyi (foot), Adam Smith (groin)
Remember: you can watch all 380 Premier League games across NBC, USA Network, NBCSports.com and Peacock. We’ve got you covered.
Will Manchester City win yet another Premier League title? Can Arsenal push them all the way? Will Chelsea and Liverpool recover to finish in the top four? Can Manchester United’s new-look side surge into the title race? What about Tottenham? How will the new boys get on? Who will be the surprise package?
Those questions will be answered from August 2022 to May 2023, with the full list of Premier League fixtures.
While below are the answers to all of the questions you have around the Premier League fixtures and everything else you need to know for the upcoming season, with full details on the Premier League TV schedule across the NBC family of channels and more.
The Premier League fixtures for the 2022-23 season were announced on Thursday June 16, 2022 at 4am ET. Below is the full schedule, as you can watch all 380 games across our NBC platforms.
The Premier League fixture computer decides who plays who and when, as teams located close to one another are usually playing at home on opposite weekends to help with policing, crowd control and transport congestion in those areas.
When will the Premier League take a break for the 2022 World Cup?
When will the 2022-23 Premier League season finish?
The final day of the season will be on Sunday, May 28, 2023.
Which teams will compete in the 2022-23 Premier League?
These are the 20 teams which will compete in the Premier League for the upcoming season:
Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton and Hove Albion, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, Leeds United, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Predictions for 2022-23 Premier League season
We made a few bold predictions ahead of the Premier League campaign, which you can read in full here. And we’ve also predicted how we think the Premier League table will look at the end of the 2022-23 campaign. I’m sure you agree wholeheartedly with these predictions…
2022-23 Premier League TV schedule
Below are the Premier League fixtures in full, with all kick offs listed at 10am ET unless otherwise stated:
2:45pm: AFC Bournemouth v Brighton
2:45pm: Leeds v Nottingham Forest
2:45pm: Leicester vs Aston Villa
3pm: Chelsea vs Liverpool
Wednesday 5 April
3pm: Man United v Brentford
3pm: West Ham v Newcastle
Matchweek 30
Saturday 8 April
7:30am: Man Utd v Everton
Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest
Brentford v Newcastle
Fulham v West Ham
Leicester v AFC Bournemouth
Spurs v Brighton
Wolves v Chelsea
12:30pm: Southampton v Man City
Sunday 9 April
9am: Leeds v Crystal Palace
11:30am: Liverpool v Arsenal
Matchweek 31
Saturday 15 April
7:30am: Aston Villa v Newcastle
Chelsea v Brighton
Everton v Fulham
Southampton v Crystal Palace
Spurs v AFC Bournemouth
Wolves v Brentford
12:30pm: Man City v Leicester
Sunday 16 April
9am: West Ham v Arsenal
11:30am: Nottingham Forest v Man Utd
Monday 17 April
3pm: Leeds v Liverpool
Matchweek 32
Friday 21 April
3pm: Arsenal v Southampton
Saturday 22 April
7:30am: Fulham v Leeds
Brentford v Aston Villa
Crystal Palace v Everton
Leicester v Wolves
Liverpool v Nottingham Forest
Sunday 23 April
9am: AFC Bournemouth v West Ham
9am: Newcastle v Spurs
Postponed due to European action
Man Utd v Chelsea
Brighton v Man City
Matchweek 33
Tuesday 25 April
2:30pm: Wolves v Crystal Palace
2:45pm: Aston Villa v Fulham
2:45pm: Leeds v Leicester
Wednesday 26 April
2:30pm: Nottingham Forest v Brighton
2:45pm: Chelsea v Brentford
2:45pm: West Ham v Liverpool
3pm: Man City v Arsenal
Thursday 27 April
2:45pm: Everton v Newcastle
2:45pm: Southampton v AFC Bournemouth
3:15pm: Spurs v Man Utd
Matchweek 34
Saturday 29 April
7:30am: Crystal Palace v West Ham
Brentford v Nottingham Forest
Brighton v Wolves
12:30pm: Arsenal v Chelsea
Sunday 30 April
9am: AFC Bournemouth v Leeds
9am: Fulham v Man City
9am: Man Utd v Aston Villa
9am: Newcastle v Southampton
11:30am: Liverpool v Spurs
Monday 1 May
3pm: Leicester v Everton
Rearranged games
Wednesday 3 May
3pm: Liverpool v Fulham
3pm: Man City v West Ham
Thursday 4 May
3pm: Brighton v Man Utd
Matchweek 35
Saturday 6 May
AFC Bournemouth v Chelsea
Spurs v Crystal Palace
Wolves v Aston Villa
12:30pm: Liverpool v Brentford
Sunday 7 May
9am: Man City v Leeds* subject to possible Champions League schedule
11:30am: Newcastle v Arsenal
2pm: West Ham v Man Utd
Monday 8 May
10am: Fulham v Leicester
12:30pm: Brighton v Everton
3pm: Nottingham Forest v Southampton
Saturday 13 May
Arsenal v Brighton
Aston Villa v Spurs
Brentford v West Ham
Chelsea v Nottingham Forest
Crystal Palace v AFC Bournemouth
Everton v Man City
Leeds v Newcastle
Leicester v Liverpool
Man Utd v Wolves
Southampton v Fulham
Saturday 20 May
AFC Bournemouth v Man Utd
Brighton v Southampton
Fulham v Crystal Palace
Liverpool v Aston Villa
Man City v Chelsea
Newcastle v Leicester
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
Spurs v Brentford
West Ham v Leeds
Wolves v Everton
Sunday 28 May
16:00 Arsenal v Wolves
16:00 Aston Villa v Brighton
16:00 Brentford v Man City
16:00 Chelsea v Newcastle
16:00 Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest
16:00 Everton v AFC Bournemouth
16:00 Leeds v Spurs
16:00 Leicester v West Ham
16:00 Man Utd v Fulham
16:00 Southampton v Liverpool
With nine teams currently separated by four points, from 20th to 12th places, the 2022-23 Premier League relegation scrap is not only set to last until the final day, but the final two months of the season are sure to be one of the wildest roller-coaster rides of all time.
Three clubs will be relegated from the Premier League (and replaced by three teams from the EFL Championship, of course) at season’s end. Never before have this many clubs been this close to the bottom-three, and the bottom of the table, at this point of a season.
How many games remaining between relegation candidates?
There are 23 remaining head-to-head matchups between the nine teams currently in the relegation battle.
Crystal Palace: 8 games (1 against every other team)
Wolves: 4 games
Leeds: 5 games
Everton: 4 games
Nottingham Forest: 4 games
Leicester: 6 games
West Ham: 5 games
Bournemouth: 6 games
Southampton: 4 games
