FA PREMIER LEAGUE 

ARSENAL 2 (Rice 19, Havertz 86)

BRENTFORD 1 (Wissa 45+3)

A GOALKEEPER psycho drama played out at the Emirates as Arsenal returned to the top of the league after a last gasp winner in a proper battle against Brentford.

Aaron Ramsdale – back in the starting eleven with David Raya unable to play against his former side – let the Bees back into the match in painful fashion before turning second half saviour.

In a full on bungle, he was chased down while kicking out – but last year’s fans’ favourite came back out to pull-off two acrobatic saves to atone.

After the match, Arteta said: “I’m really happy because he is a person with huge a personality and courage. An error is part of football. I am not surprised he came back. He has the whole team and stadium behind him.”

From a neutral’s perspective this would have been an enjoyable, chaotic game with drama at both ends.

For Arsenal fans it was a stressful exhausting experience, particularly on the weekend that the Gunners title co-challengers meet in a huge showdown.

It was in stark contrast to the run of one-sided games in recent weeks that have seen the Gunners march about the country scoring at will and sending thousands of fans home at half time.

Declan Rice headed in the opener from a Benjamin White cross, doing well to twist his neck and arc the ball into bottom corner.

White also provided the killer cross for Kai Havertz to head the winner late on and send the crowd into meltdown.

The visitors had withstood relentless pressure at the start of the second half and could easily have taken the lead in spectacular style.

Toney hit a 40-yard half volley that looked to be looping up and over Ramsdale.

Older fans will have been triggered back to Nayim in that Cup Winners Cup final. But this time Ramsdale managed to claw the ball out and away for a corner.

Brentford are big and strong and Arsenal sides of the past will have wilted under the pressure of Ivan Toney and Yoane Wissa.

But this is no ordinary defence.

William Saliba often gets the plaudits. But tonight it was Gabriel – a total monster and a massive presence.

Close to the death he squared off with Toney after clattering into him.

He gets the fans going and looks like his life depends on keeping a clean sheet.

Rice was once again a calming presence and he was unlucky not to put the Gunners ahead, hitting the top corner of the frame of the goal with a superb curling strike.

As for Ramsdale, he looked shaky in what could be his last game for the club.

He hit two poor long balls in the opening minutes that had his teammates almost consoling him.

Arsenal are still in the mix. But now the really tough games begin, starting with Porto on Tuesday.

Arteta said: “This stadium is going to be like you have never seen in your life. Bring your noise. Bring passion to the stadium. Bring something beautiful.”

Arsenal: Ramsdale, Kiwior (Zinchenko 79), White, Gabriel, Saliba, Rice, Jorginho (Jesus 69), Havertz, Saka, Trossard (Nelson 79), Odegaard (Partey 94).

Subs not used: Hein, Rowe, Nketiah, Soares, Vieir

Brentford: Flekken, Jorgensen (Damsgaard 90), Norgaard (Jensen 34), Wissa (Maupay 78), Zanka, Onyeka (Yarmaluk 75), Toney, Ajer, Collins, Lewis-Potter, Janett (Ghoddas 90), Roerstev.
Subs not used: Strokkasha, Baptiste, Ji-Soo,  Arthur