Brentford v Arsenal Betting Tips
Arsenal have a 60% chance of landing a victory at the Gtech Stadium according to the Premier League betting sites. Their odds of 1.66 are likely to be popular, with the Gunners having claimed seven victories in their twelve away games this season.
After a 3-2 home defeat against Manchester United threatened to derail their title challenge, four straight wins in all competitions have put them back on course, with a straightforward 3-0 victory against Sunderland taking place at the weekend.
The Arsenal defence are back to their stingy ways too. The north London side have shut out Leeds, Chelsea and the Black Cats in three successive games. The robust brick wall of Gabriel and William Saliba in front of David Raya is looking watertight and perhaps a bloodless victory against the Bees could be on the cards.
However, it's not easy to bet against Brentford at home. Keith Andrews' side's home form mirrors Arsenal's away form. They have claimed the scalps of seven teams and have achieved a victory in seven of their past ten matches. The only two defeats have come against Chelsea and Nottingham Forest, the latter a rare aberration at home.
The confidence levels are high following an unlikely 3-2 win at Newcastle where Brentford came from behind to land the spoils. Previously to this was an even less likely success at Villa Park where a red card to Kevin Schade didn't stop the visitors defending like troopers and getting over the line.
We genuinely don't think this match will be easy for Arsenal. Perhaps taking the home side on the Asian Handicap could be a decent option, with Brentford having little to lose from this fixture although the Gunners were comfortable 2-0 winners when the sides met in early December at the Emirates Stadium.
Goals Under/Over
There's nothing to split the Over and Under 2.5 Goals betting odds. The bookies think both outcomes are equally as likely. We are leaning towards the latter option, with Brentford likely to be strong when it comes to defending set pieces. Indeed, the two sides might cancel each other out in this department as we know Arsenal love defending.
Arsenal have only conceded nine goals in in twelve away games. They're often good to land a clean sheet but finding the net at the other end might not be straightforward. The Bees only concede an average of one goal per home match in the Premier League and they are more than comfortable when it comes to sitting deep and soaking up pressure.
The Unders throw up all manner of potential scorelines including 1-0 and 2-0 victories for Arsenal. It's now getting to the stage of the campaign where the Gunners are looking to grind out tight wins as they pursue that elusive title.
BTTS
The BTTS Yes odds are slightly shorter than BTTS No, although Arsenal's three successive wins to nil makes a strong case for the former. Sunderland did have three shots on target at the Emirates Stadium but rarely looked like scoring. Chelsea were chasing goals in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg encounter but only mustered two efforts on target.
The 4-0 victory at Elland Road was one of Arsenal's best performances of the campaign, with an in-form Leeds only getting on shot on goal. Mikel Arteta's side have therefore gone a long time since conceding and the brace for Kairat Almaty in the Champions League was against a Gunners side cruising into the last sixteen of the competition.
However, Brentford don't draw many blanks on home soil. They average nearly two goals per home match and have the second-highest scorer in the division. Igor Thiago is playing himself into the Brazil World Cup squad after notching seventeen goals to sit only behind Erling Haaland in the standings, with Manchester City, Spurs and Nottingham Forest the only sides to keep a clean sheet at the Gtech Stadium.
First Goalscorer
Igor Thiago has been an absolute revelation for Brentford this term. He has eighteen goals in all competitions for the Bees this season and has found some form recently. There was a hat-trick at Everton as part of a 4-2 victory, with this being followed by a brace against Sunderland. In the last game, he was on target with a penalty at St James' Park and will have to be watched carefully by the Arsenal defence.
Dango Ouattara was a big money arrival from Bournemouth last summer and has now started to click into gear. The Burkina Faso international scored the winning goal at Villa Park before finding the net at Newcastle. He could be the match winner here based on current form.
However, Arsenal are the favourites and it appears as though Viktor Gyokeres will rise to the challenge. The Swede has scored six in his last eight Gunners' matches and the brace against Sunderland came after coming off the bench with half an hour left. The forward is likely to earn a start as a result at the Gtech Stadium and his physicality could cause problems.
Martin Zubimendi's goal return has been increasing as the season has worn on. That includes goals in the previous two top-flight encounters, with Gabriel the defender who always carries the biggest scoring threat.