Late Kai Havertz Winner At Brentford Sends Arsenal Top Of Premier League
Kai Havertz scored an 89th-minute winner as Arsenal won 1-0 at Brentford on Saturday evening.
Havertz headed in a deep cross from Bukayo Saka to secure the Gunners a third straight victory in all competitions.
That result saw Arsenal climb to the top of the Premier League, after title rivals Manchester City and Liverpool had drawn 1-1 earlier in the day.
Kai Havertz pictured celebrating after scoring a late winning goal for Arsenal in a 1-0 victory at Brentford
IMAGO/NurPhoto/MI News
Havertz's second goal since signing from Chelsea for £60 million gave Arsenal the perfect ending to Saturday's game.
But an error by goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale - who was only playing because on-loan stopper David Raya was ineligible to face his parent club - had nearly provided a nightmare start in the 13th minute.
Ramsdale was tackled by Yoane Wissa inside the six-yard box. Wissa then teed up Brentford strike-partner Bryan Mbeumo, who was denied what had looked like being a certain goal by a superb clearance from Declan Rice.
Arsenal thought that they had taken the lead just before half-time when Leandro Trossard headed home from a rebound after Gabriel Jesus had seen his initial effort saved by Mark Flekken.
But a VAR review found that Trossard had been marginally offside.
Another brilliant goal-line clearance, this time from Oleksandr Zinchenko to deny Neal Maupay, then saved Arsenal's skin in the 77th minute.
A draw would perhaps have been a fair result based on the balance of play, but the away side claimed all three points at the death thanks to a fine link-up between Saka and Havertz, who was serenaded by the Arsenal fans at full-time.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Newcastle thrashed Chelsea 4-1 at St James' Park.
Brighton won 3-2 at Nottingham Forest, while West Ham beat Burnley 2-1 at Turf Moor.
There were also significant wins for relegation-battlers Bournemouth and Luton, who overcame Sheffield United and Crystal Palace respectively.
