Arsenal Takes the Lead with Late Havertz Winner: Player Ratings in Brentford Match

FROM GTECH COMMUNITY STADIUM - Substitute Kai Havertz netted the only goal in a thrilling game against Brentford, pushing Arsenal to the Premier League's top spot in the process.

The opportunity for Mikel Arteta's team to take the lead in the standings was presented following Manchester City's deadlock with Liverpool earlier on Saturday. Arsenal seized the chance, scoring a late goal to secure the top position for the first time this season.

Despite a strong defensive effort from Brentford and several missed opportunities, they were unable to break through Arsenal's defenses.

In the first clip of the match, Aaron Ramsdale, situated in the six-yard box, lost control to Yoane Wissa. Wissa then passed the ball to Bryan Mbeumo for a shot that was eventually cleared away by Declan Rice before Wissa could return the ball towards the goal.

Arsenal's first real scoring opportunity occurred when Oleksandr Zinchenko was allowed ample room to cross the ball into the left half-space towards Leandro Trossard, but his headshot missed the mark.

Goalkeeper Mark Flekken first intervened when Gabriel Martinelli intercepted the ball deep into Brentford's territory and passed it onto Gabriel Jesus. Jesus' kick was deflected by Ethan Pinnock and Flekken promptly deflected the shot away.

However, Flekken was unable to stop Arsenal from scoring soon after. Jesus' attempted goal was deflected by Flekken but Leandro Trossard was there to push it across the line. However, the video assistant referee (VAR) determined he was slightly offside and the goal was subsequently called off.

As the second half started, Brentford missed a notable chance to get ahead. Despite Wissa's elaborate maneuver bypassing Zinchenko to find Mbeumo, the final attempt was halted by Gabriel and missed the targeted near post.

An opportunity for Brentford to score was dismissed when Zinchenko deflected away a header by Neal Maupay. Also, Maupay failed to direct the ensuing cross ball by Vitaly Janelt to the goal.

A slip-up from Ethan Pinnock culminated in a three-on-three play in Arsenal's favor. However, Eddie Nketiah held onto possession but his low shot towards the goal was blocked by Flekken.

With the final whistle nearing, Arsenal managed to score, with a cross from Bukayo Saka received by Havertz who promptly headed into the goal securing a win for Arsenal.

In terms of player performance, Mark Flekken showed signs of his early season jitters, receiving a 4/10. Similarly, the highest-scoring Norwegian Kristoffer Ajer's impressive performance on the pitch was insufficient to sway the eventual result.

Other performances worth noting include that of Ben Mee and Ethan Pinnock with 7/10 each, and Frank Onyeka and Christian Norgaard for their defensive efforts. Unfortunately, Saman Ghoddos, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa received less promising ratings of 5/10 each.

Substitutes Neal Maupay and Shandon Baptiste also scored 5/10 each in the limited time they spent on the field.