Brentford vs Arsenal Prediction: Thiago good to go as Arsenal corner the market

Arsenal head to the Gtech Community Stadium this Thursday, February 12 as they take on Brentford. Manager Mikel Arteta is looking to steer the Gunnership to a first Premier League title since that invincible season Arsenal fans won’t shut up about. Twelve draws wasn’t it? Sheesh.

Read on for my Brentford vs Arsenal predictions including the latest team news and match odds.

Team News

Brentford will have to do without Kevin Schade for the second game in a row due to suspension. The Bees have lost Fabio Carvalho, with an ACL injury in November sidelining the attacking midfielder for the season. Loan terms mean Brentford cannot field borrowed Gunner Reiss Nelson.

Nelson’s former Arsenal youth colleague Josh Dasilva is out with a knee injury, a recurring problem that has seen him sidelined since 2024. 

Midfield maestro Martin Odegaard is in contention for a return after missing Arsenal’s past two games. Arteta is also hopeful that wide man Bukayo Saka will return soon, though reports suggest the north London derby on February 22 could be a more realistic comeback date.

Leandro Trossard went down injured late in the 3-0 win over Sunderland. The ex-Brighton man is not thought to be a long-term concern and could even make this game. 

Arsenal will be without Mikel Merino, who is sidelined following foot surgery and expected to miss the majority of the remaining games this season. Teenage sensation Max Dowman is out with damaged ankle ligaments and is yet to return to training.

Brentford vs Arsenal Odds

The Gunners are favourites, with the league leaders backed at 7/10. The home side are 4/1 while the draw is priced at 3/1.

Arsenal’s divisive frontman Victor Gyokeres is priced at 4/1 to net the first goal or 7/5 to score at any time. Arsenal are 7/4 to win to nil.

Igor Thiago to score anytime @ 15/8

Safe as houses. Arsenal do have the most effective defence in the league, but the Brazilian is scoring for fun. 

Thiago has pretty much done the same wherever he has been. The South American striker banged in 15 goals in 32 league games for Ludogorets in Bulgaria before notching 18 in 34 for Club Brugge in the Belgian League.

A meniscus injury limited Thiago to just eight Premier League games last season, without a goal. But this term the 24-year-old has actually improved on his impressive numbers abroad after adapting to the unforgiving step-up to the Premier League. Thiago’s 17 goals in 25 games is a frightening return.

I expect a player in the richest vein of form to stick one past Mikel and his miserly defence.

Arsenal over 6.5 corners @ 5/4

This is an article about Arsenal, so set-pieces were always going to come up. Arsene Wenger must be turning in his Fifa-funded desk chair when he sees what his former player Arteta has turned the Gunners into. 

Far from walking the ball into the net as, The IT Crowd immortalised, this beefed-up Arsenal for the modern age do everything but throw it in. Nothing wrong with that approach, just amusing in the face of their former manager’s philosophical trench warfare with early set-piece converts like Tony Pulis. 

The numbers bear out Arsenal’s reputation as masters of the dead ball. The table-toppers have had more corners than any other team in the league this season. Their total averages out at 6.2 per game. 

That average is a shade below the requirement for this bet, but bear this in mind; Brentford have conceded the sixth-most corners in the league this season. The Bees average 5.2 conceded corners per game. Arsenal are not your average side. The Gunners’ league-high corner-winning should see them head to the flag more than 6.5 times on the day.

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