Thomas Partey scores as Arsenal draw with Brentford

Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey scored for Arsenal in a 1-1 draw against Brentford at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Mikel Arteta made five changes to the side that had impressively defeated Real Madrid 3-0 in midweek Champions League action, but the match lacked quality from the outset.

It wasn’t until the 20th minute that the first shot on target came, with Kristoffer Ajer testing David Raya after being played into the area by Bryan Mbeumo.

The Gunners thought they had taken the lead just minutes later when Kieran Tierney headed in a cross from Ethan Nwaneri.

However, a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review confirmed that the left-back was clearly offside.

Leandro Trossard had the Gunners’ first shot on target just before halftime, but his low drive was pushed away by Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken.

Thomas Partey broke the deadlock in the 61st minute after a brilliant assist from Declan Rice.

The England midfielder carried the ball deep from his own half before setting up Partey, who fired powerfully past Flekken.

Brentford responded in the 74th minute when Nathan Collins nodded a ball back into the Arsenal penalty area, allowing Yoane Wissa to cleverly turn and score.

The result leaves Arsenal 10 points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Their attention now shifts to the Champions League, where they will face a crucial second-leg tie in Madrid on Wednesday.