Burnley 1-1 Arsenal: Three Things We Learned

Burnley were the underdogs heading into the game against Arsenal, but we always knew there was a chance they’d be able to pull off something resembling an upset. In the end what we got was an incredibly dramatic game, and while the pendulum was able to swing in both directions, the two sides wound up playing out a 1-1 draw on an eventful afternoon at Turf Moor.

Burnley’s heroics

While there were a few other circumstances that helped Burnley to come away with a point, they also need to give themselves some real credit too. The Clarets dug deep and battled as hard as they possibly could for as long as they possibly could to secure the point and to give their survival hopes a real injection of life. Sean Dyche knows how to remain in this league and moving forward, he’ll be feeling a lot more relaxed about their chances.

VAR drama

When the ball struck the arm of Erik Pieters following some nice build-up play by Nicolas Pepe, it seemed like a surefire penalty – but it wasn’t given. It was barely even looked at by VAR which, in itself, seems strange given how the system is supposed to be used. There’s a whole lot to be said for VAR and everything that comes with it, much of which is positive. Alas, they dropped the ball in a big way here, and there needs to be someone held accountable.

Top six hopes fading?

Arsenal are priced at 35/1 to finish in the top four with Betfair but at this rate, even the top six looks to be a bit of a stretch. The Gunners are a work in progress and Mikel Arteta needs to really work on getting this squad together as a unit because their inability to really kill games off is harming them. Burnley assisted in doing a number on them but there are still so many uncertainties within Arsenal’s ranks at the Emirates, and they need to be addressed. Arteta seems to be up to the task but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy – in fact, it’ll be quite the opposite.

Match Report

Burnley: Pope (6), Taylor (7), Mee (7), Tarkowski (7.5), Lowton (6), McNeil (6.5), Brownhill (6), Westwood (6.5), Gudmundsson (7), Wood (7), Vydra (6.5), Rodriguez (6), Pieters (7), Brady (6)

Arsenal: Leno (7), Chambers (7), Luiz (7), Mari (7), Tierney (6.5), Partey (6), Xhaka (5.5), Saka (6.5), Odegaard (6.5), Willian (6), Aubameyang (7), Pepe (6), Ceballos (6.5), Lacazette (6.5)

Referee: Andre Marriner

Goals: Wood :: Aubameyang

Yellow Cards: Pieters, Saka

Red Cards: N/A