Arsenal 1-0 Brentford – Premier League: Live score, team news and updates as Declan Rice heads the Gunners in front as they aim for an eighth-straight win that will take them top of the league above Man City and Liverpool

Brentford win a corner, and Janelt steps up to take the righthanded effort. The ball springs nicely for Toney to get under and head towards Ramsdale, but he catches it and quickly spurs a lightning quick Arsenal attack.

Trossard picks up the long overarm throw and steams up the pitch, trailed by doughty Brentford defenders, and it’s only Roerselv’s bullish pace that stops the Belgian defender from an excellent attempt on Flekken’s goal.

Lewis-Potter wafts the ball over scrapping Arsenal defenders to find the feet of Toney inside the box. He’s immediately set upon by Gabriel and Saliba, and has to fire the ball away under pressure, only for a team-mate to be caught offside.

But it’s bright from Brentford, amid the wash of Arsenal dominance.

Gabriel tugs down Wissa, just to the right of the Arsenal penalty area, and he hits the turf like a ton of bricks for a freekick. Gabriel’s complaints give him a yellow card for his troubles, and Brentford have the chance to overturn the run of play.

Lewis-Potter prepares to send the ball into the box as Toney and Havertz squabble in the build-up, but the midfielder’s effort ultimately flies out of play without troubling either attack or defence.

Arsenal have a comfortable grip on the opening five minutes, with Kiwior ushering the ball into the Brentford half before handing off to White on the right.

Havertz plays to former Chelsea team-mate Jorginho on the edge of the box, but he’s pushed back by a Brentford defender thumping the ball back up the pitch.

It’s a fast start for Brentford in terms of a speedy yellow card for Onyeka – entirely justified after he hacks down Trossard on the run out of Arsenal’s half looking for a quick counter-attack.

Southgate is in the building for Ramsdale’s lone 2024 start.

Arsenal like a fast start more than most, and they win an early corner after buzzing around the Brentford six-yard box in an attempt to scare the visitors in the opening minutes.

Rice’s kick flies in with an artful curve and Kiwior leaps to head it in, but it skirts just past the open mouth of goal and out for a goal kick.

After late shouted encouragements from both teams and the strains of ‘North London Forever’, it’s go-time in north London, and the visitors kick us off.

Can they pull off something special on the road today?

And yet it is a faintly shocking 86 years since Brentford were able to beat Arsenal behind enemy lines.

That would be quite the stat to trumpet if they do manage to bloody the title-contenders’ noses today.

If you’re trying to get in his head, what is he thinking, there will be an element of nerves. Even when he played in the cup games earlier in the season, I fully understand that because he was the number one last year, he’s come in to a difficult situation now where the normal number one can’t play.

You’d be thinking: ‘Just no mistakes. Just keep calm, make sure you play your normal game, don’t try to do anything else, don’t try to become David Raya’ – who you’d probably have to say is better on the ball than he is. Just do what you do well.

Last season he was fantastic. It’s been a hard season but you have to learn sometimes. He’ll only get stronger for what has happened to him this season.

He looked excited, he’s been waiting for an opportunity.

Like any other player, they all want to play, and when he has the chance to play, we are lucky to have him.

How do you beat Arsenal?, they ask.

Good question, lets see! Hopefully after the game we will have been able to do it. There’s no doubt this is an unbelievably tough game about an in form team.

But every game has got his own story, and hopefully this is a different story.

We know if we hit (our game plan) we are difficult to play against.

Monday’s win against Sheffield United was cold, ruthless, and emphatic. The performance of champions in waiting?

Mail Sport’s IAN LADYMAN has a hunch. Read more below.

Thomas Frank’s side are winless since early February, and are badly in need of a statement win not only to shake them out of their langour, but to firm up their gap from the relegation zone.

In 15th and on 26 points, Brentford are just five points above the drop. Yes, Everton and Forest may yet be penalised and really get stuck in to the relegation fight, but the Bees need to turn their form around sharpish if they don’t want an end-of-season scrap.

Hunting that win against the title-challengers could be an exercise in optimism, however.

Arsenal will go top of the league with a home win this evening, and can enjoy a Sunday spending either Liverpool or Manchester City drop points in some form as they go to war against one another.

But with the closest race for some time, how carefully must the Gunners tread to stay in the hunt? And do some rivals have an easier task than others?

Find Mail Sport’s lowdown on the remaining 11 games of the season here.

An intriguing – perhaps not to be taken too seriously – stat here suggesting that the late afternoon-early evening isn’t Arsenal’s sweet spot.

Is it the shadows? The sun setting? Are the players’ minds already on their Saturday night plans? It could be that we never find out the reason for this particular pecadillo. But it seems that Brentford are the outlier opposition. Will that still prove true at approximately 7.30pm?

Unecumbered by the light fog of irony wafting around his comments, Arteta has implored Southgate to stick with Ramsdale ahead of this summer’s European championship.

Performances in the English top flight, however scant, will sway the England head coach – ahead of tonight’s performance, you can read through Arteta’s pre-match comments below.

Raya is bound by his loan and won’t be able to start against his parent club Brentford, which means Ramsdale gets his first Premier League appearance since… Arsenal’s last run-out against Brentford.

One more change makes it two for the hosts with Martinelli out of action after cutting his foot against Sheffield United on Monday – he’s swapped for Trossard.

Brentford faced Toney’s other suitors Chelsea last and had to settle for a 2-2 draw: they make one change, with Reguilon exchanged for Lewis-Potter.

‘Coy’ could well be Arteta’s middle name at this rate, so keen is the Spaniard to inject a little mystery into team injuries, say, or his decision-making over goalkeepers.

As such, he’s reticent on the subject of Toney – and Mail Sport’s ISAAN KHAN has the full story.

After picking up an apparent knack during Brentford’s last run-out, Frank brushed away concern that Toney wouldn’t be able to start today.

That means Toney’s most ardent suitors will get to take a good look at him upon his return from serving his sanction.

For his part, the striker has appeared to favour Arsenal – courtesy of internet sleuths unearthing a few promising liked social media posts – and might be keen to impress after scoring at the Emirates during last season’s 1-1 draw.

Brentford had thought they’d gotten away with it when Arsenal visited the G-Tech Community Stadium last year, until Kai Havertz turned up in the 89th minute and thoroughly spoiled the party.

But Brentford have only been defeated by a solitary goal in both of their appointments with the Gunners this season – after an early Carabao Cup meeting ended in similar fashion – and were without Toney during the reverse fixture.

You can relive events with Mail Sport’s KIERAN GILL’s report below.

MIkel Arteta’s side have been rock-solid at the back this season, and have the stats to show for it.

For a Brentford team that has won just three games on the road this Premier League campaign, it likely makes sobering reading.

It was hard to go an hour without hearing the words ‘Ivan Toney’ and ‘Arsenal’ during the January transfer window, but when the dust settles at the end of the season, will the Gunners be as fiercely interested in tempting the striker northwards?

Chris Sutton is reflecting on how well they are doing without a rip-roaring No 9, and he shared his thoughts on Mail Sport’s It’s All Kicking Off podcast this week.

Hello and welcome to Mail Sport’s live coverage of the final Premier League tie of an action-packed Saturday, the Ivan Toney derby – I mean Arsenal versus Brentford.

But attention will no doubt focus in on the Bees striker, who has long been one of Arsenal’s long-range transfer targets ahead of the summer window. After serving his eight-month ban, this will be the first time he goes up against his suitors this season.

Kick-off is at 5.30pm, but until then, we’ll bring you all the team news and build-up.