Arsenal vs Brentford: Preview, Team News, Time and Where to Watch Mikel Arteta's High Fliers

Arsenal will be out to open up a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table when they host Bretford on Wednesday night.

Arsenal return to the Emirates Stadium for their first midweek Premier League fixture of the season, where they will host London rivals Brentford.

The Gunners maintained their position at the top of the table following a hard-fought draw against Chelsea on Sunday. However, with Manchester City securing a 5-4 victory over Fulham on Tuesday, Arsenal's lead has been cut to two points.

While a point at Stamford Bridge would have been acceptable before kickoff, a first-half red card for Chelsea's Moisés Caicedo presented a prime opportunity for the visitors. Despite this advantage, Mikel Arteta’s side appeared out of sorts and struggled to build momentum, even after Mikel Merino leveled the score just before the hour mark.

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Preview

Nevertheless, it has been a successful week for Arsenal, who will be aiming to extend their unbeaten streak through the Christmas period. Next up are the Bees, who have historically proven to be a tough opponent for the Gunners.

Thomas Frank's Brentford were known for their resilience against top sides, and it appears Keith Andrews' current squad will be just as challenging. Brentford are expected to rely on set-pieces and counter-attacks, but their away form has been a significant weakness this season, having lost five of their six Premier League matches on the road.

Team News and Injury Updates

In his pre-match press conference, Mikel Arteta provided several injury updates but did not confirm the return of any currently sidelined players for Wednesday's clash.

Arteta described William Saliba's injury as "bizarre" but hinted at a possible return this week. Leandro Trossard is also expected back soon after missing Sunday's draw due to a knock sustained in the 3-1 win over Bayern Munich.

Martin Odegaard made his return from a lengthy absence against Chelsea but had a quiet cameo off the bench. Viktor Gyokeres also featured and is likely to be reinstated into the starting lineup against Brentford. Meanwhile, Gabriel and Kai Havertz are still considered "weeks" away from returning.

On the visitors' side, Reiss Nelson, who is on loan from Arsenal, is ineligible to play against his parent club. Brentford reported no new injuries following their 3-1 victory over Burnley on Saturday. However, Fabio Carvalho, Joshua Dasilva, and Antoni Milambo remain long-term absentees with knee injuries, all ruled out until 2026.

Igor Thiago continued his impressive start to the season with a brace against Burnley, placing him just four goals behind Erling Haaland in the Golden Boot race. The Brazilian striker is set to lead the line alongside Dango Ouattara at the Emirates.

Time and Where to Watch

The match will kick off at 10.30pm East African time and will be live on SuperSport TV.

Predicted Lineups

Arsenal predicted XI: Raya; White, Saliba, Hincapié, Calafiori; Norgaard, Rice; Saka, Odegaard, Madueke; Gyokeres

Brentford predicted XI: Kelleher; Collins, Van den Berg, Ajer; Kayode, Yarmoliuk, Henderson, Henry; Damsgaard; Ouattara, Thiago