Martinelli completes comeback to keep Arsenal on leaders' tail

Mikel Arteta wanted to send a warning to Liverpool that Arsenal can push them all the way for the Premier League title and this was evidence that they mean business.

- Ed Aarons

Facing a Brentford side boasting the division's best home record and trailing to an early Bryan Mbeumo strike, Arsenal hit back with goals from Gabriel Jesus - his sixth in his past four games - Mikel Merino and Gabriel Martinelli to ensure that they moved to within six points of Arne Slot's side, albeit from a game more.

It was far from a vintage performance from Arsenal and they once again needed a goal from a corner - their ninth of the league season - to take the lead. But having now gone 12 matches in all competitions without defeat and with the 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri making another big impression on his first Premier League start, Arteta will sense that their momentum is slowly building even in the absence of their talisman Bukayo Saka.

Both these sides had to wait until the new year to round off the first half of their campaigns, with Liverpool having moved nine points clear thanks to their 5-0 thrashing of West Ham. So the onus was on Arsenal to keep up the pressure on the leaders in the first of nine fixtures they will play this month in all competitions.