Matthew Ireland's tips for Arsenal's trip to Brentford on Saturday include a positive result for the hosts with a forward getting on the scoresheet.
Arsenal resume their Premier League title challenge on Saturday evening when they head across London to take on Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.
The Gunners are just a point behind leaders Manchester City heading into this weekend’s fixtures while the Bees are down in 11th but could climb as high as ninth if results elsewhere go their way.
Brentford v Arsenal best bets
Double chance: Brentford or draw @ 1/1
Bryan Mbeumo to score at any time @ 23/10
Under 3.5 cards @ 7/4
Bees to stunt Arsenal’s progress
Arsenal are right in the title mix for the second season in succession and they head to the Gtech eyeing a third win in a row across all competitions, having beaten Sevilla in the Champions League and Burnley in the Premier League prior to the international break.
The Emirates has been a fortress for the Gunners this term – they are unbeaten in their nine assignments in their own backyard – but they have struggled to replicate their home superiority on their travels.
Mikel Arteta’s side have lost their last two road fixtures, going down to West Ham in the League Cup and then Newcastle in the league, while a 2-1 success at Sevilla is their only victory in their last five away games.
The drop in standards on their travels is becoming a concern for Arsenal and they will face another tough examination from Brentford, who have lost only one of their last 10 top-flight matches on home soil.
Thomas Frank’s troops were on a three-game winning streak before losing 3-0 at Liverpool prior to the international break and the Bees will be eager to make amends for that disappointing performance at Anfield.
However, Arsenal have shown they are a tough nut to crack so a bet on Brentford to win or draw in the double-chance market looks the way to go.
Brentford ace to find the net
One player worth keeping an eye on in the goalscorer markets is Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, who has stepped up to the plate in the continued absence of Ivan Toney.
The Cameroon international leads the Bees’ scoring charts in the league with six goals, and it is perhaps no surprise given that he has recorded 34 shots this term, the most of any Brentford player.
Fifteen of those attempts have been on target and Mbeumo looks a solid proposition to find the net for a seventh time this season.
Ref to keep cards in his pocket
Brentford and Arsenal have met on five occasions since the Bees made their Premier League debut in the 2021/22 season – four times in the top flight and once in the League Cup.
There wasn’t a single card shown in their first Premier League clash while just two yellows have been dished out in each of the next three meetings.
September’s League Cup meeting is the only time that more than two cards have been shown in a match between these sides since Brentford’s promotion to the top flight – there were four shown on that occasion – so backing no more than three to be shown on Saturday looks wise.
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