Arsenal and Brentford kicked off the New Year with the first match of 2025, where the “Gunners” triumphed 1-3 and moved into second place in the Premier League.
The Premier League didn’t pause for the New Year, delivering an exciting match between Brentford and Arsenal, marking the first game of 2025. Arsenal claimed a 1-3 victory, securing second place in England.
Brentford Takes the Lead
The match, held on January 1st at Gtech Community Stadium, started poorly for the visitors, as Brentford took the lead just 13 minutes into the game. Bryan Mbeumo received a pass from Mikkel Damsgaard, made a cut inside from the left flank, and fired a shot to the near post that beat goalkeeper David Raya, putting the Bees ahead 1-0.
Gabriel Jesus Levels the Score
After a few near-misses from both teams, including a goal-line clearance from Raya following a mistake where he lost control of the ball, the equalizer arrived in the 29th minute. In a fortunate sequence of rebounds, a loose ball in the penalty area was picked up by Yakubu Partey, who took a powerful shot. Although Raya saved the initial strike, he left the ball in the center of the area, where Gabriel Jesus, with a diving header, sent the ball into the net to level the score.
Arsenal’s Quick Turnaround
In the second half, Arsenal took the lead in the 50th minute from a corner kick. A poorly cleared ball by the Brentford goalkeeper allowed Mikel Merino to push the ball into the net after an initial shot hit a defender. Merino then fired the ball through a crowd of players in the small box to give Arsenal the lead.
Just three minutes later, Gabriel Martinelli extended the lead to 1-3. In a play initiated by Ethan Nwaneri’s cross, Brentford’s defense failed to clear the ball properly, allowing Martinelli to control it with his right thigh before firing a powerful shot that left the goalkeeper stranded, sealing the first win of the year for Arsenal.
With this victory, Arsenal began the year on the right foot, moving into second place in the Premier League with 39 points, surpassing Nottingham Forest with 37 points, and remaining 6 points behind league leaders Liverpool, who have 45 points.
