The Premier League title race heats up again as Arsenal drops points, drawing 1-1 away against the Bees, with Saka becoming a major liability.

At 4 AM Beijing time on February 13, the last fixture of the Premier League’s 26th round saw league leaders Arsenal taking on Brentford on the road.

In the first half, Raya almost made a costly mistake but then pulled off a superb save, with the half ending 0-0; in the second half, Arsenal’s two new recruits linked up, with Cacapa setting up Maduake’s header to open the scoring, Lewis-Potter leveled for Brentford, and Martinelli squandered a clear chance in added time.

Ultimately, Arsenal drew 1-1 away at Brentford, maintaining a slim 4-point lead at the top, reigniting the Premier League title race; Brentford sits in seventh place.

Brentford lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation under Andrews, with a starting lineup valued at €255 million;Arteta deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation featuring Yokuslu up front, supported by Eze behind him, flanked by Trossard and Maduake on the wings, Rice and Soumaré as defensive midfielders, a back four of Cacapa, Gabriel, Mosquera, and Timber, with Raya in goal; the starting lineup was valued at €665 million..

In this match, Arsenal played without the composure expected of a title contender, looking disorganized and dominated by Brentford at home. Maduake stood out as one of Arsenal’s few bright spots, with the two new signings combining effectively—left-back Cacapa delivered a cross that right-winger Maduake headed in to break the deadlock. The turning point came in the 70th minute when Arteta substituted Maduake for Saka, and just a minute later Arsenal conceded. Saka has been struggling all season, reluctant to pass and playing in an isolated style; he has become a major weakness and burden for Arsenal, yet Arteta continues to rely on him despite poor performances. Saka now represents Arsenal’s biggest obstacle in the title race. Martinelli’s finishing is also a flaw, as the Brazilian forward missed a clear chance in stoppage time. Arsenal was fortunate to earn a point; had Brentford’s attackers been more clinical, Arsenal might have ended up with nothing.

Throughout the match,Arsenal held 60% possession but managed only 7 shots, with 2 on target; Brentford had 12 shots, 3 of which were on target.This shows that Arsenal’s dropped points were due to their own poor performance. After losing 2 points, Arsenal leads by just 4 points, bringing the Premier League title race back into question. With the Champions League knockout stages starting and Arteta reluctant to rotate, Arsenal’s title hopes are at risk, whereas Manchester City has more experience handling such pressure.