After the New Year's Eve celebrations have drawn to a close, fireworks should continue to fly at the Gtech Community Stadium, where London rivals Brentford and Arsenal play the first Premier League game of 2025 on January 1.
Only one of the capital outfits managed to take home three points in their final encounters of 2024, as the Gunners made hard work of Ipswich Town on December 27, the same evening that the Bees and Brighton & Hove Albion shook hands on a bore draw.
Match preview
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal did not have to wait until the New Year to enter a new era - of sorts - as the Gunners began life without the services of injured Hale End hero Bukayo Saka when Ipswich rocked up to the Emirates two days after Christmas.
As hamstring victim Saka helplessly watched on from the sidelines - which will be the theme for the next two months - Arsenal laboured to a 1-0 win over their defence-heavy opponents, who succumbed to a first-half Kai Havertz strike but could hold their heads high otherwise.
Relief rather than rapture was the theme among the Emirates faithful when the final whistle blew, as Arsenal ensured that their already insurmountable gap to Liverpool would not grow any more, but they will begin 2025 in third place in the Premier League table thanks to Nottingham Forest's success over Everton.
Win on Wednesday and Arsenal go back above Nuno Espirito Santo's surprise package, an outcome which Gooners can feel optimistic about if their side's three-game victorious run and 11-match unbeaten sequence in all competitions is anything to go by.
Making a habit of conquering their capital counterparts in 2024, Arsenal did not lose any of their 10 Premier League London derbies in that calendar year, and Arteta's men have not even ventured outside of the city since travelling to Sporting Lisbon on November 26; this will be their ninth straight game in the English capital.
On the other hand, Brentford did briefly depart familiar surroundings to pit their wits against Brighton on December 27, where the biggest talking point of that 0-0 stalemate was Joao Pedro inexplicably avoiding an early bath for swinging an elbow at Yehor Yarmoliuk.
As flummoxed fans vented their frustrations, Thomas Frank and co dissected a draw that may have led to mixed emotions in the Bees' camp; while they halted a three-game losing run at the Amex Stadium, they are one of two teams still winless on the road in this season's Premier League, along with sorry Southampton.
However, the Bees' well-documented specialities at the Gtech Community Stadium means that they reside in the safety of 12th place for the time being; 22 points at home is a joint-high alongside Liverpool, and 26 goals scored is a Premier League best.
Then again, Nottingham Forest knocked down a few of the West London walls with their 2-0 victory just before Christmas, and while they may be statistically the joint-best home team in the Premier League, they have not kept a single top-flight clean sheet at the Gtech this term.
Frank's crop were also subjected to a pair of narrow defeats against Arsenal in the 2023-24 Premier League season, and since stunning the Gunners in their maiden Premier League match in 2021, Brentford have lost each of their last three home games versus Arteta's side without making the net bulge.
Team News
Post-Ipswich, Arteta confirmed to journalists that Saka had gone under the knife to treat his serious hamstring problem, but he was able to share a more positive update on Raheem Sterling, whose knee issue is not as bad as first feared.
The trip to Brentford is still expected to come too soon for the on-loan Chelsea man, though, while Takehiro Tomiyasu and Ben White are still on the mend from severe knee problems and will not be seen for a while.
Arteta opted to start Gabriel Martinelli in Saka's place against Brentford to accommodate the revived Gabriel Jesus, but the Brazilian lost his bite last time out and may be at risk of the axe if the Gunners boss wants to reinforce the midfield with Thomas Partey.
Arsenal came through their win over the Tractor Boys with no new problems, but the same cannot be said for their hosts, who lost goalkeeper Mark Flekken to an issue in the first half before Ben Mee was also forced off towards the end.
On Monday, Frank confirmed that Mee's muscular problem would render him unavailable for a couple of weeks, but Flekken might be passed fit; he expressed total confidence in Hakon Valdimarsson to shine if necessary, though.
Sepp van den Berg (groin) and Mathias Jensen (thigh) are also set to return to the squad, but Igor Thiago (knee), Gustavo Nunes (back), Rico Henry (knee), Aaron Hickey (thigh), Josh Dasilva (knee), Kristoffer Ajer (ankle) and Ethan Pinnock (thigh) are definitely out.
Brentford possible starting lineup:
Flekken; Roerslev, Collins, Van den Berg, Lewis-Potter; Janelt, Norgaard; Mbeumo, Damsgaard, Schade; Wissa
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Martinelli, Havertz, Trossard
We say: Brentford 1-3 Arsenal
Much may depend on how many stricken defenders Brentford can recover for this London derby, but even with a fully-strong rearguard, Frank's men have been found wanting at the back all season long.
As the Bees should still set up to attack Arsenal in a manner that Ipswich did not, expect Arteta's men - who thrive in London derbies - to find plenty of joy in the final third and kick off 2025 with a three-point bang.
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