Demands on Arsenal Squad Sees Mikel Arteta Make Three Big Changes vs. Brentford

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta opted to drop influential trio Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Jurriën Timber to the bench for Wednesday night’s Premier League clash with Brentford.

The Bees made the short trip from west to north London for the game at the Emirates Stadium, just as a busy period for both sides heats up now that December is here. Brentford boss Keith Andrews himself opted to rest 11-goal striker Igor Thiago, named among the subs.

Arsenal still have seven games against Aston Villa, Club Brugge, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Everton, Crystal Palace, Brighton & Hove Albion and Aston Villa (again) in the remaining four weeks of 2025.

Keen to maintain recent momentum, Arteta resisted mass changes, but still pulled Saka, Eze and Timber from the XI that began the weekend’s 1–1 draw against Chelsea.

Noni Madueke, club captain Martin Ødegaard—in for his first start since returning from a knee injury last month—and Ben White were the players called on to step into the lineup.

Mikel Merino, fresh from scoring the equaliser at Chelsea, continues to operate as the stand-in striker role he’s become surprisingly adept at filling, but Arsenal’s attacking depth recently received a massive boost heading towards a congested fixture list.

Viktor Gyökeres was again among the substitutes after making his first appearance following a recent return from a four-game absence off the bench against Chelsea. The Swede has scored just four times in the Premier League since a high-profile summer transfer from Portuguese champions Sporting CP—he netted 54 times across all competitions for them last season.

Gabriel Jesus was also named on the bench for the second game running, having spent much, much longer sidelined with an ACL injury he suffered in January 2025, ruling him out for 11 months. The Brazilian has played an unofficial game behind closed doors in recent weeks and fans will be hoping to see him back on the pitch in an official capacity very soon.

The Gunners are seeking to make it 18 games unbeaten across all competitions, having not lost since a narrow 1–0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool back in August—it is their only defeat this season.

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