Arsenal Without Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang And Alexandre Lacazette For Season Opener Vs Brentford

Arsenal have been dealt two major blows for the first game of the campaign with both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette unavailable for tonight's season-opener.

The Gunners kick off the new term with a trip to newly-promoted Brentford and hope to get off the mark in a campaign where they have no European football commitments.

But Mikel Arteta will have to reshuffle his attack as according to David Ornstein from The Athletic, his two first-choice frontmen are unwell.

With his go-to pair sidelined, and Eddie Nketiah injured, it seems as though Arteta will have to choose between either Gabriel Martinelli or Folarin Balogun up top.

Winger Nicolas Pepe could also be an option through the middle but the situation is less than ideal for Arsenal.

And as expected, fans have not taken the news too well on social media:

Aubameyang scored 15 goals in 39 appearances for Arsenal last term, while Lacazette was the team's top scorer and hit 17 in all competitions.

Thomas Partey is another absentee due to ankle injury picked up in a friendly against Chelsea, while defender Gabriel Magalhaes is still recovering from a knee problem.

After the game at the Brentford Community Stadium this evening, Arsenal play Chelsea, Manchester City and Spurs in the following five league fixtures.

Arsenal have added Ben White, Nuno Tavares and Albert Sambi Lokonga to their squad in the transfer window but Arteta is expecting some more activity between now and deadline day.

"When on this first period of the transfer window I think we’ve done a few things that we wanted to do," Arteta said in a press conference.

“There is still window to go so I’m sure things will happen either way.”