THE TITLE RACE IS ON! | Kai Havertz saves the day! | Arsenal 2-1 Brentford Match Reaction

I'm ready for this, I've been waiting for this for ages. Ah, never in doubt, nice kickabout with the boys. Normal service resumes, Arsenal play any football club and we get three points. Were you not nervous? I were nervous, I knew we was getting three points. It was calm. I was banging on with my prediction of 2-1. People deluded, they're back again on a serious note. As you can see above my head, Arsenal 2, Brentford 1. First things first, Brentford, big up yourselves. You made it difficult. It was a sobering reminder for football fans of Arsenal Football Club that we're not just going to rock up, keep clean sheets, score four, five, six goals. Yeah, and all of them things. Considering the injuries that Brentford had, they made it very difficult for us. And another day it could have went left. But yeah, this was a big three points. And while it's lovely to win three, four, five, six-nil, and I don't think Arsenal are going to win the league, I don't know if Arsenal are going to win the league. Whether you're Arsenal against Brentford or Liverpool against Burnley or Manchester City against Newcastle, it's these games that you look back on when you win a title, if you win a title, with joy, because this is where it comes down to. After halftime, I think it came down to desire. I'll be absolutely honest with you. It's 1-1, Ramsdale's fucked up. Pardon my French. Get on with it, innit? And even though I think Ramsdale's distribution at times was hit and miss, but he made some good passes. In the second half, he also made some good saves. Unfortunately, the narrative is, you've come in for Raya, you've made a mistake unnecessarily, and that's why Arteta's moved on from you. I can't control that. It is what it is. But at least we've got the three points, which is all that matters. Brentford made it very difficult for us, and Tony's a cheeky bastard, really, and truly tried to catch Ramsdale off his line and ping it with his left peg. But yeah, I think Brentford played well, man, really and truly, considering their injuries. They made it difficult for us. They were very rigid and composed defensively. They were a difficult outfit to break down. And in recent weeks, you know, their goalies, the first keeper I've seen, I know we've had a lot of shots and a decent amount on target, but I don't really think he was tested to the potential we can. This was an ugly win, but it was so ugly, it was beautiful, you know, two-headed goals from our summer signings, Kai Havertz and Declan Rice. Obviously, as I just said, it came down to desire. Can we react to setbacks? Can we react to things aren't going our way? You know, the ref is having a mare. They're fouling us. They're disrupting our rhythm. They're very composed and congested defensively. Can we find a way out of that? And appreciative to Kai Havertz because he did Benjamin White, man of the match, two fantastic assists. You know, as I said, the only criticisms I've got is I don't think we worked their keeper. I think we made it hard. We made this harder than it needed to be. I think at times we were giving them too much encouragement. I feel at times our passing could have been a bit more crisper. At times, I think we was giving the ball away generally in the game a lot carelessly. And I'm not the guy to say I'm right and things, but today I was. I told you this would be a sobering reminder of football isn't just a fairy tale. You rock up, score a lot of goals, not tested. I said it would be 2-1 and I was banging on the money, you know, and I appreciate the boys. Benjamin White had a great game. Saliba and Gabriel generally coped with Ivan-Tony. Ivan-Tony's always in the refs here. Maybe they got an accumulator together. I don't know, people, really and truly. We saw, again, you get that luck when you press the keeper. I don't know what to say on Ramsdale's mistake. This is why you don't start, isn't it? Really and truly. I think at the start of the game, we got in behind early. I think we started well. As I said, there wasn't much space in Brentford's structure and I think they were spot on with that. I think in hindsight, one thing that harmed Brentford is they were playing out from the back early and then they just started going long. Maybe they were scared. I feel for the large part, it was an even contest and there was a part in the game Brentford probably had the more opportunities, but I wouldn't say we was out of it. I think they were getting forward, but they were respecting us where they needed to be. I think there was being a bit street smart, really, really and truly. You know, credit to Jorginho, Benjamin White and Bakayo Saka for their build-up play in what led to Declan Rice heading home. I'm here for that. You know, obviously Ramsdale shot us in the foot and himself in the foot unnecessarily in the dying embers of the first half and kind of ruined the team talk from both sides. He's conceded a mistake. It is what it is. And Ramsdale's just got to get on with it. You've made the mistake. People were nervous about you coming into the game, but not necessarily that mistake. But for these sort of things, it's happened. The worst that they can say is things they said about you. Regardless, you just have to keep it going. This is why this could be potentially your last game. I personally think that would be Everton at home in the Premier League. This is why Raya, even though Raya can make mistakes like anyone, has dislodged you. At half-time, I want to see the keeper worked more. I want to see us ask questions of a makeshift back five, really and truly. Nathan Collins is just more concerned than getting into handbags. As I said, I think we could be sharper with our passing. I think we could protect the ball better. I think generally, and those of you that were part of my watch, Kai Havertz is making great runs off the ball. Jorginho is playing some silky passes. Saka is doing what he can. I wanted to see a bit more from Trossart. I think other guards on it and in pockets. I think Benjamin White is doing well in the inverted role. As I said, just a tiny bit sharper. Saliba's made the mistake. At half-time, Saliba, Ramsdale's made the mistake. At half-time, it's purely about desire. You know, we can't afford to drop points. Whether we win the league is another story. But, you know, we need to take all the points we can, especially going into City in our next Premier League game and actually Liverpool City tomorrow. We need to take all the points we can and be reliant on them two teams to drop points. The second half was just about desire. This is your season. Yeah, we're still in the Champions League and that's another story in itself because we need to come from behind against Porto. But your season's on the line. Our teammates made a mistake. Can you get him out of trouble? Can we laugh about the mistake? And that's actually what happened. Second half, I feel first 5-10, we was a bit nervous. But other than that, we was doing our thing. All I can say is God bless all the boys involved in the build-up playing. God bless Kai Havertz for getting his goal, really. That's what four in four. And it's a team thing, really. I think Nelson actually had an encouraging cameo off the bench. I think Jesus still looks a bit rusty. Shout out to Benny Blanco, Benjamin White, man of the match. I think generally Saliba and Gabriel did well. I do think in the first half we weren't clearing our lines well. And I don't think we was looking after the ball. You don't know I'm a fan of Trossart. I think Trossart was quite wasteful today, but I'm not here for individual or collective performances. Let's get the three points first, then talk about the narrative or the performance. And we did that today. It would have been a bitter pill to swallow, dropping points unnecessarily today, which at one point it looked like it was heading for the draw. But shout out to the boys. They've got a new mentality. They dig deep. They make it happen. And Kai Havertz and Declan Rice have made the difference. Shout out to Benjamin White. Don't know what, I mean, if Southgate is watching that game, you know, not that Pickford is going to be dislodged being England number one. But Rairam Stelz hardly boosted his chances. But how you can't call up Benjamin White, I don't know. I don't care from an Arsenal fan perspective, because a man that plays week in, week out for us, international break's going to get rested. But on a serious note, Benjamin White is one of the best performing English players in the league this season. You know, you've got him, Kobe Maynard, Barkley, Watkins, even Foden, Akio Saka. And the list goes on. He's definitely there. I'm not saying Benjamin White has to start, but how he hasn't been called up, I don't know. Just get it done, man. We have to get over the line. And again, as I said at the start, it's a sobering reminder that you need to earn the right to win football matches, that you can't underestimate anyone regardless of your form, regardless of your player's form, regardless of who's in or out the team and regardless of who you have available, really. You have to earn the right to win. As I said, I think we could have tested and worked that keeper a lot more. I think we could have scored a lot more goals. I think in the first half we could have looked after the ball a lot more and moved it a bit quicker. Obviously, I would have loved Ramsdale not to make that mistake. Jorginho made some great passes. And I actually feel we needed to find Kai Havertz a lot sooner, very early in the game, because those of you that were part of my watch along, you kept hearing me say, Odegaard's doing his thing. But Kai Havertz is making some fantastic runs. Find him. And, you know, again, in terms of becoming an all-complete side, if you try and play football against us, we can play you off the park and we can win ugly, which it really was. Two crosses, two headers. But as I said, it's so ugly, it's beautiful. And we can enjoy it today. Unfortunately, Man Utd won. You've got Liverpool City tomorrow. You've also got Aston Villa versus Spurs. So we can enjoy these games. And the title race goes on for another, another, another week, really. We hope it's a draw tomorrow. I don't know. Some of you probably want Liverpool City to win a bit more, depending on where you are. And yeah, man, we won the game. I'm happy we won it. It was one for the heart rate where you're up there and whatnot. But yeah, and I'm actually happy Kai Havertz scored, because any bit of, not that I think he's lacking confidence in this moment in his Arsenal career, but any little bit of added confidence you can get is evidently going to make you a better footballer. So we won today. Evidently, there's so many things we could have done better. Would have loved a clean sheet. Would have loved more goals. Would have loved a more complete performance. But we got the most important thing, which was the three points. Man of the match, Benny Blanco, for me, without a doubt. I think Jorginho, Odegaard also did quite well. So, yeah, people, all focus now goes on to the Porto game on Tuesday. If you haven't smashed the like button, then you know what you need to do. Hit the like button, subscribe. Let me know your thoughts on who you think is man slash men of the match. What do you think for with that mistake? What do you think this means with the title race? And what do you think of the game generally? On that note, people, you've watched match of the day. Enjoy your evening. I'm out.