From the first whistle, Brentford made it clear they hadn't forgotten the scars of that 7–1 drubbing earlier in the season.
This was a different posture — disciplined lines, midfield and defence knitting together into a compact wall, refusing to give Arsenal the freedom they'd enjoyed last time.
But Arsenal, buoyed by midweek confidence and the return of Bukayo Saka, didn't look rattled.
Saka, especially, was sharp from the opening touch.
Barely five minutes in, he ghosted infield from the right, timing his run to meet a lofted diagonal from Declan Rice.
With one neat touch to control, he opened his body and swept a curling left-foot effort towards the far corner, but, "Flekken keeps watch all the way… and it's tipped over!" the commentator called, the camera catching Saka's grin as he jogged away.
It was the first test for Brentford's keeper, but certainly not the last.
