Arteta and Rice strike balanced tone after Brentford draw

London – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and midfielder Declan Rice offered measured reflections after Sunday’s 1-1 Premier League draw at Brentford, insisting the dropped points are a setback rather than a fatal blow in the title race.

The visitors never imposed themselves during a disjointed opening 45 minutes, registering only one shot and repeatedly ceding territory to Brentford’s aerial barrage. David Raya, facing his former club, was forced into a series of important stops from set-pieces and long throws, the very scenarios Arteta had urged his side to neutralise.

The tactical introduction of Martin Odegaard after the interval injected urgency. Arsenal raised the tempo and found reward on 63 minutes when Piero Hincapie delivered an inviting cross from the left and Noni Madueke ghosted in to head past Mark Flekken. Chances to double the advantage followed, yet the Londoners could not convert.

Brentford levelled through a familiar route: a long throw into the mixer. Keane Lewis-Potter applied the finish after Jurrien Timber appeared to be impeded in the build-up, a decision referee Michael Oliver allowed to stand. The goal reopened a contest that descended into end-to-end chaos, Gabriel Jesus spurning a late opportunity to steal victory for Arsenal.

Speaking afterwards, Arteta bemoaned his team’s inability to kill the match. “We knew it was very tough to dominate them for the whole game,” he said. “In the second half we started dominating with pace and intent, but we didn’t hit the target often enough. Once we scored, the game was totally controlled, yet you cannot give fouls away or defend set-pieces casually. When you concede a long throw, you have to defend with your life.”

The Spaniard, whose side remain top despite the draw, challenged his players to learn quickly. “We take the point, we keep going. We’re going to have to improve in certain areas for sure, but we have another competition that we are very excited to play in.”

Rice echoed his manager’s pragmatism. “We weren’t naive to think this was going to be a pushover,” he stressed. “Keith Andrews has got them playing really well; they’re seventh and so effective. It might be a valuable point towards the end. The only thing we can do is keep worrying about ourselves.”

The England international pointed to Arsenal’s broader body of work this term. “We’ve been on an amazing run, lost only three in all competitions. Let’s take the positives, keep pushing, keep sticking together. Everyone’s needed on this road to the end.”

With the calendar flipping toward decisive spring fixtures, the draw trims Arsenal’s cushion yet leaves destiny in their own hands. Arteta and Rice, while frustrated, framed the result as further evidence of a squad learning to handle the twin pressures of expectation and endurance.