Kai Havertz springs to life and floors Brentford to send Arsenal top

Whatever happens to Arsenal this season, Mikel Arteta will know that this victory courtesy of substitute Kai Havertz’s late header could be priceless.

A lacklustre display against a committed Brentford that had seen Aaron Ramsdale endure a shaky return between the posts looked like ending in disappointment as the game ticked into the 89th minute. But after a testing start to his career in north London, Havertz ensured his place in Arsenal folklore when he ghosted in at the far post to steer home Bukayo Saka’s cross. The victory means Arteta’s side go top of the table for the first time this season, with the manager pumping his fist at the final whistle after a testing evening that had frayed the nerves of his goalkeeper in particular.

With David Raya ineligible to face his parent club, Ramsdale made his first appearance since the start of September in the Premier League as Arsenal also welcomed back Gabriel Jesus and Martin Ødegaard to their starting line-up for the first time in five weeks. Manchester City’s draw against Liverpool had given Mikel Arteta’s side even more incentive to get a result, although Brentford hadn’t been beaten here since losing to Arsenal in the EFL Cup nearly two months ago and are always a dangerous proposition on home turf.

Ramsdale betrayed some early nerves by slicing a clearance out of play but only the England goalkeeper will know what went through his mind after attempting to take a goal kick with Gabriel. Yoane Wissa was quick to close him down and Ramsdale seemed to panic as the Brentford forward came near and the ball dropped into the path of Bryan Mbeumo, whose shot was brilliantly blocked on the line by Declan Rice. Much to Ramsdale’s relief, Wissa stabbed the rebound wide. “You’re just a shit David Raya,” sang the Brentford supporters in mocking delight.

With Ødegaard employed in a deeper midfield role alongside Rice, Leandro Trossard was tasked with supporting Jesus through the middle and the Belgian mistimed a header that sailed over the crossbar from a corner. Brentford – who had Ukrainian teenager Yehor Yarmoliuk making his full debut in midfield – also struggled to find a way through other than a Christian Nørgaard effort that sailed off target.

Arsenal have been linked with a move for Ivan Toney in January when the England striker returns from his gambling ban, although it appears unlikely that Brentford would allow him to leave with Mbeumo and Wissa both expected to be off to the African Cup of Nations. But Trossard showed just the kind of goalscoring instinct Arsenal require when he reacted first to Mark Flekken’s save from a Jesus header from point-blank range to head home. Sadly for him, VAR adjudged him to have been marginally in front of Jesus and the goal was chalked off.

It looked a very tight call and Arteta’s mood would not have improved when Gabriel Martinelli curled a cross straight out of play at the start of the second half. Things could have got even worse for the Arsenal manager when Wissa’s clever flick played Mbeumo in behind the absent Oleksandr Zinchenko but the Cameroon forward dragged his shot wide of the near post.

Arteta turned to Eddie Nketiah just after the hour mark, with Jesus making way having only come back from injury during the international break. The striker came close to making an instant impression when he went up for Martinelli’s cross but a fantastic headed clearance from Ben Mee cleared the danger. Flekken then almost gifted Arsenal the breakthrough when he dallied on the ball under pressure from Saka but the Brentford goalkeeper managed to keep his cool.

It needed a brilliant goal-line clearance from Zinchenko to prevent substitute Neal Maupay from snatching the points for Brentford late on after he was picked out at the far post by Mbeumo.

But there was still time for Havertz to enliven a dull second half when he was picked out by Saka to leave Flekken floundering. A grateful Ramsdale grasped the ball closely to his chest at the final whistle in an expression of relief that was shared by the travelling fans.