Declan Rice said Arsenal’s 1-1 draw away to Brentford could prove decisive in the title race after the league leaders were pegged back at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Noni Madueke’s header early in the second half put Arsenal in front, but Keane Lewis-Potter levelled 10 minutes later as Brentford earned a share of the spoils.

The result on Thursday night trimmed Arsenal’s lead at the top of the table to four points following Manchester City’s 3-0 win 24 hours earlier against Fulham.

The England international said in a post-match interview, “We weren’t naive to think that this was going to be a pushover.

“They’re an amazing team, they’re seventh in the league and Keith Andrews has got them playing really, really well. They’re so effective at how they play, and we prepared for that. We knew what was coming.

“It might be a valuable point towards the end. The only thing we can do is just keep worrying about ourselves like we’ve been doing.

“We’ve been on an amazing run this season, the performances have been incredible. If you look at the amount of games we’ve played and how many we’ve won, we’ve lost three in all competitions all season.

Rice: “Everyone’s needed on this road to the end”

“So let’s take the positives, keep going, keep pushing, keep sticking together. Everyone’s needed on this road to the end. There’s a long way to go but we’re positive.”

After a goalless first half, the contest opened up following the break, with both sides enjoying dominant spells in an end-to-end encounter.

“It was a really tough game,” Rice reflected, adding that, “They probably had the first 20 minutes, we then probably had the next 25 and ended the first half really well.

“Then we started the second half really well, got the goal which was fully deserved, and then they probably had the last 25 minutes. So it was split into different stages, and could have probably gone either way at the end.

Arsenal held by Brentford to offer Man City Premier League title hope
“We really wanted to win, we wanted to stamp our authority on it, but in the end we have to take the point and move forward.

“We have to keep going. We’ve played a lot of games this season, and we’ve got to keep staying mentally refreshed, physically refreshed. Now we move on to the next game, so got to keep going.”

12 more games to go

Brentford, seventh in the Premier League, played like a side that belongs in the European conversation.

Relentless in the press and razor-sharp in transition, they forced Arsenal onto the back foot and earned their point with authority.

The Bees swarmed, hunted in packs, and carved out late openings — none clearer than Igor Thiago’s stoppage-time chance that flashed the scent of a winner but not the finish.

Arsenal had their moment to kill the contest.

Gabriel Martinelli, Brazil’s livewire, found space to strike the decisive blow, yet the opportunity slipped — a chance to seal a statement away victory squandered.

Now the focus shifts.

The Gunners pivot to the FA Cup on Sunday, welcoming League One outfit Wigan Athletic to the Emirates, a fixture that demands professionalism over complacency.

Then comes a demanding turn: the rearranged Premier League clash at Wolves on Wednesday — a Gameweek 31 assignment arriving with added edge — before the season’s second North London derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 22.

The schedule tightens. The margins narrow. And Arsenal’s mettle will be tested in the last 12 games of the season to see if the title drought end this year.