Relief for Arsenal, redemption for Aaron Ramsdale and cause for Mikel Arteta to have a good lie-down. What a brilliantly mad route he and his men took to the top of the league in this most wild of games.
If we are to start with the basics, it is that they almost blew it, only for Kai Havertz to head a winner after 86 minutes when he was awfully fortunate to be on the pitch.
Had events developed a little differently, and indeed correctly, he would have been shown a second yellow card for diving a few moments earlier. But upon such quirks of luck big things can happen.
For Havertz, that meant a fourth goal in four. For Arsenal, an eighth straight league victory. For Manchester City and Liverpool, not to mention Brentford, a gut punch.
And yet that was barely half the story, because the rest relates to the adventures of Ramsdale – his evening was quite something. Owing to David Raya’s ineligibility to face his parent club, this was Ramsdale’s first start of any description for two months and quite likely his last, if he seeks new opportunities this summer.
Kai Havertz powerfully headed his effort past Mark Flekken in the Brentford goal to claim the win
The German has faced criticism since his big money move but he has chimed in with key contributions as the Gunners moved to the top of the league
Aaron Ramsdale was relieved to see the late winner which spared his blushes after an earlier error
