Arsenal predicted lineup vs Brentford - Premier League | OneFootball

Arsenal enter 2025 second in the Premier League and 11 games unbeaten, yet the mood in north London doesn't exactly paint the rosiest of pictures.

Much of that has to do with Bukayo Saka's recent injury setback which will keep him sidelined for a couple of months at least. Life without their superstar winger began with a 1-0 win against Ipswich Town on Friday night - a performance which encapsulated the latest iteration of Mikel Arteta's team: Stout and controlled, but bereft of a ruthless edge.

This is going to be a slog for the title hopefuls, but they're a good enough team even without Saka to remain in contention. Liverpool are surely due a blip, right?

Anyway, their margin for error is ever so slim and only three points will do when they travel to Brentford on New Year's Day. Here's how the Gunners could line up at the Gtech.

Arsenal predicted lineup vs Brentford (4-3-3)

Arsenal are currently 11 games unbeaten / Marc Atkins/GettyImages

GK: David Raya - Raya was ineligible to face the Bees last season having joined the Gunners on an initial loan, but the Spaniard is available to take on his former club after completing a permanent transfer in the summer.

RB: Jurrien Timber - There's been plenty of Timber over the past month as a result of Arsenal's injuries at full-back. He's such a good footballer, but there is a risk of burnout.

CB: William Saliba - Saliba has a big role to play in shunning the speedy Bees on Wednesday. Ipswich allowed the Frenchman to complete passes at will on Friday, and there's scope for the defender to rack up another monster haul on New Year's Day.

CB: Gabriel - Set-pieces have been pivotal in Arsenal's success this term and they're going to need Gabriel to continue his dominance in the opposition's box while Saka's out. He missed a gilt-edge chance on Friday night.

LB: Myles Lewis-Skelly - Riccardo Calafiori will surely play a part, but Lewis-Skelly does not deserve to be dropped. He's looked at total ease since joining the senior setup.

CM: Declan Rice - Arteta recently spoke about Rice's midfield role being dependent on the opposition. With Arsenal likely to dominate territorially and Brentford boasting a distinct threat on the counter, it makes sense for Rice to start at the base of midfield again over Thomas Partey.

CM: Mikel Merino - The Gunners require bodies in the box on Wednesday, and Merino's crashing could come in handy. The midfielder's career is yet to ignite in north London.

CM: Martin Odegaard - The skipper is starting to have more success as a metronome, and we should expect to see him drop deeper and wider in a bid to dictate proceedings. However, Arsenal will also require his ability as a lock-picker in the final third.

RW: Gabriel Martinelli - Arteta won't ditch the Martinelli right-wing experiment after one start. The Brazilian should get another go despite struggling on Friday night.

ST: Kai Havertz - The German produced his best performance in a while against Ipswich but could return to a centre-forward function here. Havertz scored a pair of late winners against Brentford last season.

LW: Gabriel Jesus - Jesus will remain in the team and operate in a fluid function off the left. He'll rotate freely and have plenty of opportunities to occupy the box. His mini-scoring run came to an end last time out.