Brentford boss Thomas Frank has explained how he believes that Arsenal can be beaten after his side fought back to draw 1-1 with the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium in controversial fashion.
The Premier League leaders were given a fright in the first half, when Brentford spurned several great chances to take the lead, before Arsenal finally opened the scoring in the second half through Leandro Trossard.
It didn’t last long, however, with a free-kick leaving Ivan Toney unmarked to tap in an equaliser minutes later. It should not have stood, with Christian Norgaard having been in an offside position, but VAR official Lee Mason forgot to draw the offside lines in his haste to continue the game, and the Gunners dropped two points.
After the game, Mikel Arteta accused the referees of ‘changing the rules’, telling the media that “You have to apply certain principles in defending and you do that by sticking to the rules. Suddenly you change the rules and then you have to change your principles”.
But his side have now taken one point from their last two games, and have lacked their usual threat in either encounter.
🗣️ “He [Lee Mason] is concentrating so much on that, he’s switched off. He’s forgot to complete it through.”
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher on the Brentford equaliser against Arsenal that was incorrectly not ruled out for offside. pic.twitter.com/eMFKmkhiKg
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) February 13, 2023
Frank believes he knows the reason why, and revealed that nullifying the wide areas holds the key to stopping the Premier League leaders.
The move was something done to good effect both by Everton and by the Bees, with Gabriel Martinelli substituted on both occasions having had no luck against his opposite duo.
Despite giving away their secret, however, Frank still makes the title Arsenal’s to lose.
“They’re favourites to win the title and I think they will”, he continued.
The Gunners host Manchester City on Wednesday night knowing that a win will take them six points clear atop the Premier League, with a game in hand over the defending champions, but that a defeat would see them slip out of top spot for the first time since before the World Cup break.
