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It may just be a quirk of the schedule but as Arsenal and Brentford meet at the Gtech Community stadium on Thursday, there is an onus on each of them to prove their worth as they each chase elusive accomplishments.

Manchester City’s 3-0 win against Fulham on Wednesday means the Gunners have just a three point cushion atop the table heading into the midweek clash, the odds still in the visitors’ favor that the gap will go back to six points by the time the final whistle blows on Thursday. They enter the Brentford match understaffed, though – a handful of important players may not make the trip, a list that now reportedly includes Kai Havertz, according to The Athletic. The injury-prone attacker has sustained a muscle issue that will not just keep him out of Thursday’s match but will also force him to miss their FA Cup tie against Wigan Athletic on Sunday and the North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur the following week.

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Havertz has only played seven games this season while dealing with different injuries, but he will not be the only player who will not be in the mix on Thursday. Mikel Merino recently underwent surgery for a foot injury, his recovery trending in the right direction, according to coach Mikel Arteta.

How to watch Brentford vs. Arsenal, odds

  • Date: Thursday, Feb. 12 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
  • Location: Gtech Community Stadium — Brentford, England
  • Live stream: Peacock 
  • Odds: Brentford +420; Draw +290; Arsenal -150

“The doctors were really happy with the way it went,” Arteta mentioned in his pre-match remarks on Wednesday. “The time frame we’re talking about is months, whether it’s three, four or five, I don’t know.”

It was not the only fitness concern on Arteta’s mind.

“Max [Dowman] is still not available,” he added. “The rest [Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard] we will see with the medical team.”

Arteta will be able to call upon the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus amongst others, the former generally acting as a focal point for the Gunners’ attacks. How well he has settled into his first season in the Premier League, though, is another question entirely – he has eight goals this season in league play, a modest tally for someone who was tasked with solving the attacking issues that plagued them during last season’s failed title run. Arsenal have generally been able to paper over the cracks thanks to their focus on building a deep squad, creating a team that spreads the goalscoring burden out. Trossard, Merino and Saka have each contributed four-plus goals each in the Premier League, though, posing questions about whether or not their attack will sputter at Brentford.

The Bees, meanwhile, enter the match with just two losses in their last 12, allowing them to climb up the table and emerge as a surprise contender for a Champions League berth. They are still on the outside looking in, currently sitting six points behind fourth place Manchester United and five behind Chelsea, who are in a fifth place spot that will likely also earn qualification to the Champions League thanks to England’s standing in UEFA’s association coefficient race. A win, however unlikely, on Thursday could turn the race on its head – they would sit just two points behind United and one behind Chelsea, a chance to close the gap afforded to them because of their rivals’ draws earlier this week.

Thursday’s game may become a tale of two attackers, since Brentford boast one of the league’s best in Igor Thiago. He has 17 goals this season, second only to City’s Erling Haaland, and is only five goals behind the Norway international as he continues a dry spell. Breaking through the Gunners’ impressive defense is not easy but Brentford will count on Thiago to accomplish that feat in the hopes of notching a statement-making result.