Arsenal lost 3-2 to Brentford in a behind closed doors friendly at the Emirates on Wednesday afternoon.

Mikel Arteta used the match as preparation for the restart of the 2019-20 Premier League season by fielding noticeably different personnel before and after the interval.

With the prospect of a trip to Manchester  City in seven days time, Arteta took the opportunity to give the majority of his squad a runout against the west Londoners.

Following the Gunners 6-0 romp against Charlton on Saturday, the north Londoners hosted the promotion-chasing Bees in a bid to ramp up preparations for the trip to the Etihad.

However, the most poignant moment came before kick-off when the entire Arsenal squad and boss Arteta took the knee in a powerful gesture of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
 
Arsenal came close in the early stages when Bukayo Saka could not fully connect with Nicolas Pepe’s cross, prior to Joe Willock failing to convert a Kieran Tierney centre.

In a strong start captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang cut in from the left before forcing a good stop by Brentford’s Barcelona-born goalkeeper David Reya.
 
The pressure from the home side eventually told when the lively Willock slotted home from close range five minutes before the break to make it 1-0 to Arsenal.

Pepe nearly doubled the lead with moments remaining of the first half but his shot hit the post.

Arteta made five changes at the interval, with David Luiz, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Matteo Guendouzi, Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette all coming on.
 
Bernd Leno showed good anticipation to deny Shandon Baptiste, before Shkodran Mustafi went close at the other end with a header from a corner.
 
Maitland-Niles and Lacazette attempted to recreate their link-up for the Frenchman’s goal against the Addicks at the weekend but the former Lyon striker fired over the bar when well placed.

Brentford’s Tarique Fosu made it 1-1 with fewer than 20 minutes remaining when he lifted a shot past Emi Martinez, who had replaced Leno.
 
Arsenal replied straight away to make it 2-1 through a low left hand shot from Lacazette which evaded Bees’ netminder Luke Daniels, who had replaced Reya, the former Blackburn keeper, between the sticks.

Brentford refused to be bowed, remaining compact when out of possession and full of threat with the ball to draw level again when Lacazette was dispossessed in his own half by Ethan Pinnock.

With many Arsenal players appealing that a foul had been committed Halil Dervisoglu was sent through to send a low strike inside the far post to make the score 2-2.

As the clocked ticked down Arsenal went looking for a winner as Gabriele Martinelli – on for Saka on the hour mark as Arteta made a raft of substitions - forced Daniels to make a low save while Lacazette headed wide.

Brentford capitalised on the Gunners wasted opportunites, and when the ball dropped loose 20 yards out after a challenge from Žamb?rek, Fosu found Baptiste and he fired in a shot that beat Martinez, clipped the post and ended up in the net.

It was a strike to settle an open match which will surely only be remembered for the day Arsenal actively displayed solidarity with the Black Lives Matters movement on the field of play by taking a knee.

Match details:

Arsenal:
 
First half XI: Leno; Bellerin, Mustafi, Pablo Mari, Tierney; Willock, Ceballos, Saka; Pepe, Nketiah, Aubameyang
 
Second half XI: Leno; Bellerin, Mustafi, David Luiz, Tierney; Maitland-Niles, Guendouzi, Ozil; Aubameyang, Lacazette, Saka

Substitutes: (All on 60 minutes)

Martinez for Leno
Sokratis for Bellerin
Holding for Mustafi
Kolasinac for Tierney
Nelson for Aubameyang
Martinelli for Saka
Coyle for Nelson

Brentford:

First half XI: Raya; Dalsgaard, Jansson, Sørensen, Thompson; Marcondes, Nørgaard, Jensen; Valencia, Watkins, Benrahma

Second half XI: Daniels; Roerslev, Sørensen, Pinnock, Henry; Yearwood, Mokotjo, Baptiste; Žamb?rek, Dervi?o?lu, Fosu