Kudos to Aaron Ramsdale for (1) getting a chance to start, (2) horrifying all of us with a gaffe that really should have led to Brenford scoring, and (3) wearing what amounted to a Chelsea kit in order to signal his support to Kai Havertz. When it was all said and done, that trifecta is arguably what inspired us to victory. The squad rallied around him and Havertz, clearly, but was also given clear warning as to what was needed on an otherwise difficult evening at the Gtech Community Stadium.

First, Kai Haertz.
Given a chance to play closer to goal, having replaced Gabriel Martinelli on the wing, Havertz made the most of his best chance, nipping in at the back post to nod home through Flekken’s legs. It provided a crucial breakthrough and, even if it came against a mid-table side, even if it didn’t require a great deal of technical quality or effort, it still stands as a vital goal. It secured three points and sent us top of the table. Will it be enough to kick-start Havertz’s career? The penalty against Bournemouth and the assist against Man City offered hope, but that hope quickly dissipated. Let’s hope that this goal opens the floodgates.

Ramsdale?
Given his first Prem start since the 3-1 win over Man U back in early September, Ramsdale very nearly drove home the final nail in his Arsenal tenure with a god-awful gaffe. In the 14th minute, he dithered with the ball at his feet and was dispossessed. It was only incredible positioning from Rice that saved Ramsdale’s hash. As if that were not enough, Ramsdale was out to sea in the 78th minute only for Zinchenko to come up with a goal-line clearance of his own. All in all, Ramsdale hardly bathed himself in glory and highlighted the fact that he only got the nod because Raya wasn’t available to face Brentford in the first place.

Rice is proving to be a bargain if not the steal of the summer window.
Those who criticised us for “splurging” £105m on Rice this summer really should hope that they enjoy the taste of eating their own words. In what’s becoming an almost-weekly occurence, Rice delivered a MOTM-level performance as he marshalled the midfield, shielded the defense, and linked defense to attack. He’s been so good that we almost haven’t missed the injured Thomas Partey, and it’s almost frightful to think of how good we might be with the two of them playing alongside each other.

Trossard in midfield?
The Belgian has been so good that he’s forced Arteta into a selection dilemma: how do you fit him into the attack when Martinelli, Jesus, and Saka are so good? The temporary (?) answer here was to start him in midfield as a kind of #8, and he did impress with his attacking verve. However, he was frequently exposed in defense, suggesting that this experiment may not have much longevity. Brentford almost seemed to target our left flank at times, given Trossard’s defensive shortcomings and that inverted role that Zinchenko plays. Long story short? The experiment yielded mixed results, and we’re not likely to see it replayed against stronger sides.

That said…
Zinchenko continues to look like a man reborn and rededicated. While he’s never struck me as a lockdown defender (more a #6/8 asked to play defense), Zinchenko delivered a strong performance. I’d go so far as to call it commanding, but that would be generous given the lack of attacking threat Brentford offered. Still, that inverted role he plays, combined with Trossard’s lack of defensive contributions, meant that he had quite a lot of work to do. Both Mbeumo and Onyeka posed frequent threats down our left side, but Zinchenko recovered and was able to nullify those threats. As mentioned above, his goal-line clearance (from the right side no less) was crucial in preserving the clean sheet and setting the stage for Havertz’s winner.

Squad spirit is off the charts…
After Havertz scored, the squad and crowd’s reaction was equal parts exhiliration at possibly securing all three points and relief at a floundering player’s potential breakthrough. His only other goal was a relatively pointless penalty against hapless Bournemouth. This goal, while much more valuable, highlighted some of the under-appreciated qualities that the German has been offering even as he’s struggled to deliver the obvious contributions too many fans focus on to the exclusion of others. His aerial ability and his intelligent movement were on full display here. I’m sure I speak for all of his save the spiteful few when I suggest that this goal could kick his career into high gear.

Right. We’re top of the league as a result of this result. Aha. Ha. Man City and Liverpool shared a point, and we’ll wait the outcome of Aston Villa’s visit to Tottenham and Man U’s increasingly irrelveant (if not incandescent) visit to Everton before we can fully assess the weekend. #RIvalsRoundup is already shaping up to be rather sassy, I can telll you that.

Last season reminded us all too painfully that being top of the league in November matters nought, but it’s still a nice place to be given our injuries and inconsistent start. It’s going to be a tighter race given Liverpool’s form and the annual arrival of Man City’s imperious form in the second half of the season, but these are the kinds of results that can make a massive difference in the end. This was one of those matches that would all too often doom our attempt at finishing fourth; this was a result that could very well boost our attempt at finishing first. It’s still early days, of course, but titles aren’t won solely on results in May…