Arsenal’s attempt to react in the Premier League title competition falls short against Brentford.

BRENTFORD, England — And then it was four.

Arsenal increased their lead at the top of the standings on Thursday to four points with a 1-1 draw at Brentford — yet seldom has a competitor felt more energized by falling further behind in the title race.

Second-placed Manchester City had exerted pressure in the days leading up to this match, first by securing a win at Liverpool and then comfortably defeating Fulham 24 hours before the Gunners arrived at Gtech Community Stadium.

The responsibility was on Arsenal to deliver a significant victory of their own. Instead, what transpired was a flawed performance that could have easily resulted in a loss against a Brentford team that continues to exceed all preseason predictions.

A draw at the home of seventh-placed Brentford isn’t the worst outcome, but as Manchester City tightens the title race, Arsenal is only increasing the pressure on themselves by failing to secure victories in matches like this one that they should win.

Declan Rice, recognizing that the draw against Brentford was a setback in the title race, urged for composure.

“You can’t be naïve to think this is going to be easy,” he stated. “We are facing the best teams week in and week out. We must keep pushing and believing in ourselves, managing what we can control.

“We need to tune out the external noise. We have done that quite well. People will hype up the title race and Arsenal, but we have a very composed group.

“I’m not naïve enough to think Brentford are an easy opponent. They are one of the top teams in the league, and their recent form reflects that. It’s a point gained in our journey, but we aimed for a win.”

A moment of brilliance from winger Noni Madueke — soaring to connect with Piero Hincapié’s cross in the 61st minute — had given Arsenal a valuable lead, but rather than consolidating it, the Gunners fell back.

Arsenal appreciates a set-piece coach — Nico Jover has a mural outside Emirates Stadium — but the Gunners may not find the irony of Brentford’s equalizer amusing.

Brentford manager Keith Andrews was Thomas Frank’s set-piece coach at Brentford before Frank’s move to Tottenham, and Andrews celebrated as Sepp van den Berg connected with Michael Kayode’s precise long throw, glancing the ball to the far post where Keane Lewis-Potter headed it past goalkeeper David Raya.

Gabriel Magalhães was fortunate not to receive a red card after fouling Dango Ouattara while already on a yellow card, and Igor Thiago came close to scoring twice, while Rice made a crucial interception as Mikkel Damsgaard prepared to shoot what would have likely been the winner from inside the box.

At the other end, substitute Gabriel Martinelli took an extra touch before shooting, allowing Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher to make a superb save.

However, Arsenal did not merit a victory. That Martinelli attempt was only their second shot on target throughout the match, as the visitors’ attack was disjointed for most of the game, except for a brief period at the start of the second half when they appeared to move with more intent.

Viktor Gyökeres let too many opportunities slip away. Leandro Trossard struggled to make an impact. It seemed that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was about to substitute Madueke for Bukayo Saka just before he scored. Saka entered the match nine minutes later but had no effect.

Yet the most significant disappointment of the night was Eberechi Eze. Given the opportunity to start with Martin Odegaard on the bench, Eze was tasked with the responsibility of getting Arsenal into their rhythm. Instead, he seemed focused on trying to replicate Odegaard rather than being his own best version. Eze dropped deep to seek the ball, much to Arteta’s visible frustration on the sidelines.

At one point, he appeared to instruct Martín Zubimendi to advance ahead of Eze for a brief period to help get Arsenal moving in a way his teammate was unable to do. His substitution at halftime was not unexpected.

“Given the way they were pressing, I think we needed a different type of profile to create more problems for them in those areas,” Arteta explained afterward.

However, it would be unjust to place the blame for Arsenal’s ineffective attack solely on Eze. This performance can be added to the list of somewhat lackluster goalless draws against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

Arsenal has won two of their last six league matches and, during that span, they recorded the 11th best shot conversion rate and the 12th highest expected goals figure (3.54) in the league.

Although they netted three goals from open play against Sunderland last weekend, their most effective period came when the game opened up, and against teams that set up defensively like this, Arsenal continues to rely heavily on set pieces to break through.

In terms of the percentage of goals scored from open play this season, Arsenal ranks 16th in the Premier League, according to ESPN Global Research.

It is uncommon to witness an Arsenal match where their opponents pose a greater threat, but that was the case here. Kayode’s long throws were a persistent danger, while Brentford matched Arsenal’s intensity in the box, creating what both managers described as the “chaos” the home side sought.

“We scored the goal and had total control of the game, but against them, that is not sufficient,” Arteta said. “They just need someone to commit an unnecessary foul, a ball in the channel, they push you, the clearance is poor, the ball goes for a throw-in, and then you have to hope because they are exceptional at what they do. The chaos around the ball is very challenging to defend.”

Ultimately, Arsenal needs to frame this appropriately. A draw away against this season’s surprise team is a reasonable outcome, especially considering they remain clear at the top.

However, Manchester City has reappeared in the rearview mirror. “Second again, ole ole,” sang the jubilant Brentford fans in reference to the possibility of Arsenal finishing as runners-up for a fourth consecutive year.

This is a prospect they must set aside in the coming months and, as Rice emphasizes, continue to push forward.