Brentford vs Arsenal Prediction: Brentford survived a penalty shootout against Newport County on their way to this round

Brentford will welcome Arsenal at Lner Community Stadium in Round 3 of the EFL English Cup. Brentford survived a penalty shootout against Newport County on their way to this round. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?

Returning to haunt his former club, Everton defender James Tarkowski played a pivotal role in Brentford's defeat during Saturday's Premier League clash. The Toffees secured their first top-flight victory of the season, much to the astonishment of the home crowd in London.

Mathias Jensen initially equalized Abdoulaye Doucoure's opening goal with a splendid shot that found the back of Jordan Pickford's net. However, Tarkowski's headed goal from a corner in the second half, followed by Dominic Calvert-Lewin's third goal, ensured Everton's triumph.

Following their visit to the Gtech Community Stadium, Everton became only the third team to defeat Brentford at their home ground since the start of the year. Despite this achievement, Brentford had an average start to the new Premier League season, with just one win to their name, ranking 13th in the standings.

Jensen's consolation goal extended Brentford's scoring streak to 14 games at the Gtech Stadium, dating back to their January FA Cup defeat to West Ham United. Last month, Brentford narrowly avoided a giant-killing scenario at Rodney Parade, securing a victory against Newport County from the penalty spot. This penalty shootout success marked a significant psychological breakthrough for Frank's team, who had previously faced a penalty shootout defeat against Gillingham in the third round last year. However, in 2022, they had reached the EFL Cup quarter-finals and achieved a historic semi-final appearance in 2021, ultimately losing to Tottenham Hotspur.

Strakosha; Roerslev, Zanka, Ajer, Hickey; Onyeka, Janelt, Ghoddos; Lewis-Potter, Mbeumo, Wissa

In an attempt to continue their recent run of disheartening cup results against their London rivals, Arsenal is looking to make a statement following their thrilling 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby. Tottenham twice came from behind at the Emirates to secure a share of the points in an action-packed match.

Cristian Romero was unfortunate in his own penalty area, inadvertently deflecting a Bukayo Saka shot into his own net and later conceding a penalty that Saka confidently converted. However, on both occasions, James Maddison provided the assist for Son Heung-min to equalize for Tottenham.

By securing a point in their arch-rivals' territory, Ange Postecoglou has achieved a feat that none of Nuno Espirito Santo, Jose Mourinho, or Antonio Conte managed during their tenure. Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta was left to lament untimely injuries to key players and an individual error from Jorginho, which gifted Tottenham their second goal.

Despite the frustration, Arsenal maintains their unbeaten record this season. However, the two-time EFL Cup champions, who haven't won the trophy since 1993, were eliminated in the first round by Brighton & Hove Albion in the most recent edition.

Arsenal's most recent encounter with Brentford ended in a controversial 1-1 draw at the Emirates, with the Bees' equalizer being allowed despite Christian Norgaard being in an offside position. However, their only previous meeting in the EFL Cup resulted in Arsenal comfortably winning 3-1 under Unai Emery in 2018.

Ramsdale; Cedric, Saliba, Kiwior, Tomiyasu; Havertz, Elneny, Jorginho; Nelson, Nketiah, Smith Rowe

Despite facing injuries and expected lineup changes, Brentford consistently performed well in scoring goals at the Gtech stadium. It's possible that they could achieve an unexpected result against a weakened Arsenal team. The EFL Cup is not a top priority for Arteta this season, and some fans may later view an early exit as a positive outcome. However, Arsenal's altered lineup still has the opportunity to take advantage of Brentford's fitness issues and defensive weaknesses in order to advance to the fourth round. Take a double chance on the home side till the 90th minute.