Brentford 0-1 Arsenal: Reiss Nelson goal enough to send the Gunners into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup… as Aaron Ramsdale makes a number of excellent saves on his return to the starting XI

Arsenal reached the fourth round of the Carabao Cup after a narrow victory
Reiss Nelson gave the Gunners an early lead with an eighth minute strike
Brentford had a number of chances in the second-half but couldn’t convert

Aaron Ramsdale was reduced to fist-pumps on the bench reacting to team-mate David Raya last weekend — but last night, a flurry of his quality saves spurred Arsenal to the Carabao Cup’s fourth round.

Mikel Arteta, as expected, rang out the changes, which included a start for Ramsdale. To the backdrop of ‘You’re just a s**t David Raya’ chants from behind the goal, the goalkeeper pulled out a sensational diving save on 66 minutes to deny Brenford’s Yoane Wissa.

The ball had been arrowing into the corner before his intervention. A fist-pump to those home supporters came out.

Minutes later, he parried away Frank Onyeka’s strike. It followed Reiss Nelson’s first-half strike after just eight minutes.

Emile Smith Rowe made his first start of the season — a 100th appearance for the club — while Charles Sagoe Jr was awarded his Arsenal debut.

Arsenal reached the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a narrow victory against Brentford

Arsenal wasted no time getting out of the blocks with Reiss Nelson putting them ahead early

Aaron Ramsdale made a number of key saves on his return to the starting XI on Wednesday

The Gunners were in front after a catalogue of errors. Zanka, under pressure, blindly passed backwards into the path of Eddie Nketiah, who raced to the byline.

His cross went straight through Nathan Collins, who should’ve intercepted it, and Nelson coolly finished into the corner.

Wissa scuppered Brentford’s best chance of the first half, finding himself alone on the edge of the box from Christian Norgaard’s incisive low cross.

Wissa blasted it wide. He ought to have scored.

Smith Rowe showed glimpses of why fans have been calling for him to feature this campaign, dribbling past a couple of defenders before his shot was blocked by keeper Mark Flekken’s foot on the line.

Upon the restart, the Bees had improved. In fairness, they could not have been any flatter in the first period.

Yet in the second, they ignited. In the space of six minutes, three goalbound shots had been blocked away.

It was Wissa’s on 66 minutes that so nearly crept in, only for Ramsdale to deny it.

Nelson should have stuck a second before the end, firing wide from a Kai Havertz cross, but in the end, just the one was enough.

Ivan Toney, who has been linked with a January move to Arsenal, watched on from behind the bench

Ramsdale was brought in for David Raya and had a hairy moment with Yoane Wissa but did well to stop the Brentford forward from working a chance on goal

Brentford’s Nigerian midfielder Frank Onyeka battles for possession with Arsenal’s Nelson

Thomas Frank played a strong side against the Gunners but they couldn’t find a way back

Vitaly Janelt and Christian Norgaard react following their narrow Carabao Cup exit

MATCH FACTS

Brentford: Flekken, Collins, Pinnock, Jorgensen (Ajer 82), Roerslev (Ghoddos 63), Onyeka (Lewis-Potter 79), Norgaard (Jensen 63), Janelt, Hickey (Olakigbe 79), Wissa, Mbeumo

Subs: Strakosha, Yarmolyuk, Olakigbe, Brierley, Balcombe

Booked: Wissa

Arsenal: Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, Gabriel, White (Zinchenko 69), Kiwior, Havertz, Jorginho, Smith Rowe (Odegaard 82), Nelson (Elneny 82), Nketiah (Cedric 87), Sagoe Junior (Jesus 68)

Subs: Hein, Lannin-Sweet, Cozier-Duberry, Walters

Goal: Nelson 8

Booked: White, Nketiah

Source: Read Full Article