Arsenal were expecting nothing less than a war when Burnley came to town at the Emirates earlier today, and that’s exactly what they got. The Clarets put up one hell of a fight against Unai Emery’s men and even had more shots than them, but in the end, it was the home side that managed to come away with all three points and a second consecutive win to kick off their Premier League campaign.
Strong & stable
It’s the first time in a decade that they’ve been able to do so, which kind of tells you a lot about the kind of inconsistency that Gunners fans have had to deal with over the last few years. They started off this game pretty brightly and moved the ball around really nicely, and before the 15 minute mark hit, they were ahead courtesy of Alexandre Lacazette after he held off Pieters and slotted the ball between the legs of Nick Pope.
At the first half went on, however, it was clear to see that Sean Dyche’s men were gaining confidence and coming into their own. Their direct approach was causing Arsenal problems, and a few minutes before the half time whistle blew, Ashley Barnes scored his third goal in two Premier League games with a close range effort following a deflected pass from Dwight McNeil.
A battle of attrition
Arsenal were able to respond immediately but it was eventually ruled out for offside, with Reiss Nelson featuring at the heart of the action for the goal. Nelson, amongst the likes of Luiz and Ceballos, really impressed today as Emery continued to implement his vision of what the new Arsenal looks like – and what they can achieve.
The winning goal came mid way through the second half, as Aubameyang picked up the ball on the edge of the 18 yard box before cutting inside and drilling it beyond the keeper on the near side.
Arsenal will now turn their attention towards a pretty big clash with European champions Liverpool at Anfield next weekend, whereas Burnley will travel to Molineux as they attempt to reignite their hopes of pushing towards a top half finish this season.
Match Report
Arsenal: Leno (7), Monreal (7.5), Luiz (6.5), Sokratis (7.5), Maitland-Niles (7), Guendouzi (7.5), Willock (7), Nelson (6), Ceballos (8.5), Aubameyang (7), Lacazette (7.5), Pepe (7), Torreira (6), Kolasinac (6)
Burnley: Pope (7.5), Lowton (6), Tarkowski (6.5), Mee (7), Pieters (6.5), Gudmundsson (6.5), Westwood (6.5), Cork (7), McNeil (7), Wood (6), Barnes (7.5), Rodriguez (6), Lennon (6)
Referee: Mike Dean
Goals: Lacazette, Aubameyang :: Barnes
Yellow Cards: Luiz, Aubameyang, Barnes
Red Cards: N/A
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