Arsenal spent more than a quarter of the match against Brentford without a shot on target. And they have not had a comeback win away from home in the Premier League for nearly two years.
Is Arsenal good enough to keep up with Liverpool? Do they need a new striker in the January transfer window? Is Bryan Mbeumo - the striker who opened the scoring for Brentford - that player?
However, Arsenal countered those questions with three goals to come back to beat the Bees.
The reasons Arteta was steadfast in the Gunners' squad were shown in the match against Brentford. For the first time in a long time, it seems Arteta's team has found balance.
Usually, Arsenal focus too much on the right wing so that nearly 50% of their attacks come from Bukayo Saka's wing. Meanwhile, the victory over Brentford saw the "Gunners" be much more dangerous when deploying a variety of attack directions.
Partly thanks to the form of the two Brazilian players. Gabriel Jesus has scored six goals in his last four games - one more than he has in his previous 48 games. As for Gabriel Martinelli, this winger has surprisingly emerged, especially without Saka in the opposite hallway.
Martinelli's record of scoring 4 goals in the last 3 matches is more than the previous 26 matches. Of course, his current form is far behind the 2022-2023 campaign with 15 goals.
In general, Martinelli is gradually regaining his confidence. This is Martinelli's first start with Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino on the left wing of Arsenal - 2 players Arteta bought in the summer of 2024 to try to improve the team.
"We believe that with the personnel on the left wing, we can create the momentum we want," said Arteta.
There have been comparisons between Merino and Granit Xhaka, midfielders who played with Martinelli when he reached his peak at Arsenal. Now, when combined with Merino, Martinelli looks like a completely different player. He created more chances than anyone else in the match against Brentford.
Merino also contributed a lot with his ability to play as a player and make set pieces. The EURO 2024 champion has scored two goals for The Gunners, all of which have come from dead-ball situations.
If Arsenal maintain this balance and continue to allocate goals, the opportunity to catch up with Liverpool will still be open. A new striker will help a lot, but Arteta's team has proven that they can still adapt.
