Kai Havertz was Arsenal’s hero once again as he stepped up to spare Aaron Ramsdale’s blushes in a dramatic 2-1 win over Brentford.
Mikel Arteta’s side went into the game knowing that a victory would see them leapfrog Liverpool at the top of the table, for the time being at least.
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Havertz was Arsenal’s star as he netted late on to maintain Arsenal’s title chargeCredit: Getty
But while they made hard work of it, they managed to get the important win to make it eight consecutive league victories.
Arsenal’s evening got off to the perfect start when Declan Rice opened the scoring with a well-taken header just 19 minutes into the match.
But that lead was blown on the cusp of half-time as an Aaron Ramsdale howler allowed Yoane Wissa to level the game.
Starting in place of David Raya, who is ineligible to face his parent club, the England shot-stopper was guilty of a calamitous error.
He dithered on the ball when looking to hoof the ball out, with Wissa managing to block his kick, with the ball bouncing into an empty net.
Though he more than made amends for his mistake in the second half having expertly denied Ivan Toney and Nathan Collins from scoring.
It was a frustrating second period for the hosts despite their dominance, with the Bees’ low-block proving difficult to break down.
Arsenal fans felt they should have had a penalty after Leandro Trossard was hauled down, but VAR felt there wasn’t enough contact.
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Havertz has now scored in four Premier League games in a rowCredit: Getty
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Rice broke the deadlock in the 19th minute at the EmiratesCredit: Getty
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The Bees found themselves back on level terms before the break following Ramsdale’s errorCredit: AFP
But they finally managed to break down down a resilient Brentford backline in the 86th minute with Havertz coming up clutch again.
Following some good work from Ben White, the ball was clipped into the ex-Chelsea forward who headed home to make it 2-1 with mere minutes to play.
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That strike means that the German star has now scored four goals and provided two assists in his last four games for the Gunners.
Having joined for £65million from Chelsea, the jury has been out on Havertz since he moved to north London.
But fans must now be thankful for single-handedly keeping their title hopes alive having scored in four successive English top-flight matches for the first time in his career.
And he has now proven to be Arsenal’s late match-winner in both fixtures against Brentford this season.
With Liverpool and Manchester City to face off at Anfield on Sunday, Arsenal know a draw between the two teams will leave them top heading into the international break.
Arsenal’s next Premier League game is against the Citizens at the Etihad on March 31 in a game that could decide who wins the title.
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Arsenal dominated the Bees in the London derby clash
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