Emergency striker Merino inspires Arsenal again in win over Brentford

But Arsenal gritted their teeth and found a way through — and Merino once again delivered their decisive moments. His 11th-minute header came at the end of the game’s finest attacking move, while it was his late pass that allowed Saka to score the second. Whether it is against Bayern Munich or Brentford, Merino has truly become the player for all occasions.

Arteta will be satisfied with the result but not with the performance, which was worryingly disjointed in the second half. The Arsenal manager also now has more injuries to worry about, with Declan Rice and Cristhian Mosquera both limping out of the action.

Brentford’s team selection had not screamed of match-winning ambition, with arguably their four most important players – Igor Thiago, Jordan Henderson, Mikkel Damsgaard and Nathan Collins – all starting on the bench. Midweek football demands rotation for all sides, of course, but it is possible that Andrews had one eye on Saturday’s meeting with Tottenham Hotspur and Thomas Frank, his old boss.

Then again, it is also possible that Andrews simply wanted to mix things up because his team’s away form has been so poor in recent months. Before this trip to north London, Brentford had lost five of their six away matches in the Premier League this season.

On the form table, then, it was a case of the unstoppable force meeting an entirely movable object: Arsenal arrived on a run of seven consecutive home victories in all competitions.

You could feel the confidence of Arteta’s players in the first few minutes here, with Noni Madueke and Ben White immediately offering attacking threat down the right wing. White was starting his first league game since the opening day of the season but he looked sharp from the off, especially when finding Merino with a fabulous cross after 11 minutes.