Mbeumo's scare a red herring as Nwaneri and friends justify Arteta's convictions

Mbeumo opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a perfect example of how a player with pace and power can cause even the most lauded of defences agony.

That Martin Odegaard saw a poor pass intercepted to put Arsenal in jeopardy was a surprise in itself, and Mbeumo went on to beat David Raya, his former Bees team-mate too easily at his near post.

But it was his evasion of Riccardo Calafiore by cutting inside to tee up his favoured left boot that was the real moment of quality.

The goal proved a red herring as far as the game itself was concerned however as Arsenal proved themselves to be superior at both ends of the pitch And in any case the man Mikel Arteta chose to fill the Saka void - if a 17-year-old can be called that - did pretty well overall and contributed to the last two goals.

Ethan Nwaneri has been a name on Gunners fans' lips for a while and this was the occasion when the teenager was handed a first Premier League start to add to 12 substitute stints and some cup outings.

The first of those had been at this very ground in 2022 and made history. At 15 years and 181 days Nwaneri became not only the youngest ever Gunner but the most youthful to turn out for any Premier League club.

Not a great deal followed in between, then, but Arteta is convinced he is now here to stay, as a first-team squad member, if not yet a sure starter.

The away end repurposed lyrics of a song originally designed to hail the long since departed Mo Elheny after two of his corners led to goals from first Mikel Merino and then Gabriel Martinelli.

Martinelli had been the first to audition for an understudy part likely to be open for more than two months so severe was the hamstring tear Saka suffered at Crystal Palace on December 21.

An extremely defensive Ipswich side, which parked a bus but still lost, prevented the Brazilian from shining in the last fixture of 2024 however, and he was shunted back to the left for this one.

He looked much more at home there, with pre-match fears that an attacking trio of himself, Nwaneri and Gabriel Jesus would be too lightweight for a robust Bees defence proved groundless.

The win was achieved with Kai Havertz unavailable as either an attacking option or a midfield alternative at a time when Declan Rice was fit only to come on for the closing stages.

Havertz travelled but did not even make the bench because of illness. Saka had been involved in 28 Premier League 'goal involvements' in 2024 and the German 24 - one of which had been a late winner against the Bees in March.

Two big misses therefore but Brentford, hit hard by injury themselves, especially at the back, were unable to make anything of it.

Calafiori, in on the left in place of youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly, has yet to fully impress and it was Jurrien Timber who switched over when the Italian was substituted.

Timber, booked early on for a hacking of Keane Lewis-Potter, negotiated more than 70 minutes of his tightrope act with little alarm. It was the Dutchman's fifth caution of the season however which means he will be banned for Saturday's trip to Brighton at a time when Arteta badly needs all available hands on deck.

The Gunners' defence remains Arteta's greatest asset and, the Mbeumo raid excepted, it looked as solid as ever.

A miserly defence and the best set-piece show in England does not a trophy-winning team make, however. Not yet, anyway. Arsenal have six points to make up on leaders Liverpool and will have to do so against formidable odds.