Newly promoted Brentford have pulled off the shock of the season already as they beat Arsenal 2-0 in the Premier League season opener on Friday. 

Brentford, who were playing their first game in the English top-flight in nearly 75 years, produced a clinical performance in front of goal against Mikel Arteta‘s Arsenal.

Arsenal kept Brentford at arm’s length in the opening 10 minutes but Thomas Frank’s side gradually grew into the game. They were constantly hitting the Gunners on the break but could not find the goal immediately.

Then the moment finally came when Sergi Canos scored the historic first goal for Brentford in the 22nd minute. The goal was the Bees’ first-ever in the Premier League era and first in the English top-flight since 1947.

Those fans finally had a chance to celebrate inside the stadium, which was opened last year amid the lockdown when no supporters were allowed into games.

They had waited even longer for a moment like this. Brentford’s last game in England’s top division was a 1-0 loss to Arsenal, in May 1947. Now the team is top of the league for at least an evening, ahead of the rest of the weekend’s games.

Christian Norgaard ended any hopes of an Arsenal return in the 73rd minute. 

For Arteta’s Arsenal, it was another disappointing performance and a worrying start. The team only finished eighth last season and showed little sign of having sorted out its previous problems. With strikers Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette both missing — Arteta said they were feeling “unwell” — Arsenal again struggled to create any kind of clear scoring chances despite dominating possession for stretches of the game.

Arsenal’s academy striker Folarin Balogun was handed his first Premier League start but was taken off before the hour mark. He was replaced by Bukayo Saka, who was given a standing ovation from the Brentford fans after being subjected to racist abuse following his penalty miss for England in the European Championship final loss to Italy.