Mikel Arteta admitted Arsenal lacked composure after taking the lead as Brentford earned a deserved point in a physical battle at the Gtech Community Stadium.
The sides largely cancelled each other out in a stop-start first half, but the game sparked into life after the break.
The Gunners were rewarded for taking the initiative when Madueke looped a header home from Piero Hincapie’s cross on the hour mark, but Brentford responded quickly, drawing level 10 minutes later when Michael Kayode’s long throw was flicked on for Lewis-Potter to crash into the net.
While Arsenal struggled to stamp their authority on the final 20 minutes, often looking vulnerable on the counter-attack, they did have the best opportunity to win it. Through on goal Jurrien Timber fed substitute Gabriel Martinelli, who was foiled at close quarters by Caoimhin Kelleher.
Here’s what the manager had to say when he faced questions from TNT Sports…
On how he views the result…
A really tough place to come, we knew that. Very difficult to dominate the game through long periods because they are really good; they drag you to a game where anytime the ball is in and around the byline or in the channel, you put the ball out for a throw-in, and it’s like a casino. Anything can happen, and something really bad can happen. You have to navigate through that. I think after the first 15 minutes, we started to dominate the game. We started the second half really well, the first 20-25 minutes, we scored the goal and from there we lacked more composure to maintain the ball better, to play in the right areas, to stay more disciplined, because we started to give a lot of unnecessary free kicks away, and bad clearances, and allow the ball in the channels, and start to generate set-pieces, and they are really, really good at it. So credit to them as well, for sure.
On making a slow start in the first 15 minutes…
It’s part of the game. Sometimes you don’t start that well, and sometimes it’s a credit to the opposition as well.
On Odegaard replacing Eze…
It was tactical. I think we needed a different kind of profile in the manner that especially they were pressing and we started really, really well in the second half.
On the way the game ended…
Yeah, we had a massive chance at the end with one v one for Gabriel Martinelli, but it wasn’t meant to be.
On how much attention he pays to Arsenal’s lead narrowing to four points…
The same that I used to pay to it two or three weeks ago. We have to do our job, and we’re going to have to come to all these places the same like the rest of the teams, and we know how tough it is, and you have to be at your best every game, and have the luck that you need as well in games to conquer the three points each week.