Brentford seek home comforts against in-form Arsenal

Brentford will be looking to bounce back from their recent away form woes when they host Arsenal at the Gtech Stadium on New Year’s Day. The Bees have struggled on the road this season, earning just two points from nine away games, but have been impressive at home, taking a joint-high 22 points from their 11 matches at the Gtech Stadium.

However, Brentford’s last home outing ended in a 2-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest, their first home loss of the season. What’s more, it was also the first time in 11 home competitive matches this term that the Londoners failed to score. Thomas Frank’s side will be eager to get back to winning ways in front of their own fans, but it won’t be easy against an in-form Arsenal side.

The Gunners have been on a fantastic run of late, extending their unbeaten streak to 11 matches in all competitions with a 1-0 win over Ipswich last time out. Mikel Arteta’s side are now just a few points behind league leaders Liverpool and will be looking to maintain their momentum as they chase their first Premier League title since the 2003/04 campaign.

Arsenal’s away form has been a concern this season, with each of their three competitive defeats coming on the road. However, they have been unbeaten in their last four away league matches and have a strong record in London derbies, remaining unbeaten in all 10 of their Premier League matches against capital-based opponents in 2024.

Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo has been in impressive form in London derbies, scoring 12 goals and providing two assists in his last 15 matches against capital-based opponents. However, he could be upstaged by Arsenal’s Kai Havertz, who netted the winner in both league H2Hs last season beyond the 85th minute.

The match promises to be an exciting encounter, with Brentford seeking to get back to winning ways at home and Arsenal looking to maintain their momentum in the title chase. With the Gunners boasting a strong record in London derbies and Brentford seeking to bounce back from their last home defeat, it’s shaping up to be a thrilling New Year’s Day clash.