Revitalised Arsenal coming to the four at the right time

QUESTIONING their desire to finish in the top four cannot be aimed at Arsenal right now.

As some rivals have faltered in recent weeks, the race for the final coveted Champions League place has looked like one nobody wants to win.

But successive victories since their return from the winter break have signalled Arsenal’s intention.

Having started the season with a 2-0 humbling at Brentford and three defeats without scoring, Mikel Arteta’s side have impressively clawed their way back into contention.

Goals from their brilliant academy-produced duo Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka earned Arsenal a victory that took them to within a point of fourth-placed Manchester United and condemned

Brentford to a sixth league defeat in seven.

Arteta has urged his players to ‘maximise’ the position they have got themselves into. They seem to be doing just that.

Arteta said: ‘It’s a long way to go (in the race for the top four) and we know we cannot look too far but we are a bit closer because we won our game.’

Goals had been hard to come by for Arsenal recently and the pattern initially continued against Brentford, though it was not for a want of trying.

Arsenal racked up the possession, attempts on goal, corners and penalty shouts though for 48 minutes a breakthrough evaded them.

Brentford were no doubt relieved to have reached that point unscathed.

But they remained so for just three minutes after the break. Arsenal finally managed to pull Brentford’s defence out of position, Alexandre Lacazette swept the ball out to Smith Rowe who drove at Kristoffer Ajer, cut inside and bent the ball beyond goalkeeper David Raya to score his 10th of the season.

Thomas Partey then released Saka and he thumped in the second off the far post.

Christian Norgaard tapped in a late Brentford consolation but it was too little too late.

Bees boss Thomas Frank said: ‘One victory would do a lot — and I don’t think it’s far away.’