Verdict: Arsenal win to nil
Best Odds: 21/20
Bookmaker: Bet365
Desperate to bounce back from their midweek EFL Cup defeat at the hands of Spurs, Unai Emery’s men will welcome a struggling Burnley side to the Emirates on Saturday lunchtime.
Arsenal
Starting with the hosts, after watching their 22-match unbeaten run come to an abrupt end at St. Mary’s last weekend, Unai Emery has now seen his side lose their last two on the bounce, including a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham in the EFL Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday night. Now sat three points adrift of Chelsea in the race for Champions League football, the former PSG boss will be calling for an immediate response on Saturday. Although Arsenal have suffered with some defensive issues of late, a run that has seen them record just one clean sheet in their last 10 Premier League outings, they do hold a very impressive record at the Emirates. Aside from two defeats to Pep Guardiola’s defending champions in 2018, the Reds are yet to taste another defeat in north London. Unsurprisingly, one man to watch for the Gunners will be leading goalscorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The 29-year-old has already bagged 10 Premier League goals this season and sits top of the charts with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.
Team News
Arsenal’s defensive crisis looks set to continue for the visit of Burnley, with Rob Holding, Hector Bellerin and Konstantinos Mavropanos all sidelined.
Shkodran Mustafi is also ruled out and Henrikh Mkhitaryan is a doubt, but Sead Kolasinac will be assessed and Sokratis is available after suspension.
Burnley
As for the visitors, while Burnley may have secured a very eye-catching seventh place finish last season, it has been an incredibly worrying start for the Clarets this time around. Coming off the back of suffering a 1-0 defeat away at Tottenham last weekend, Sean Dyche’s side have now picked up just one Premier League win since the 30th of September. A run of form that has now seen them lose seven of their last 10 matches, Burnley currently find themselves sat in the bottom-three and many have Saturday’s visitors tipped to be a leading contender in the relegation race. Now shipping 33 goals in their opening 17 matches this season, the second worst defensive record in the league, it will be the Clarets’ form on the road giving Dyche the biggest headache. Picking up just one win away from Turf Moor this season, a 2-1 victory over Cardiff back in September, Burnley have now failed to score a goal on their travels in over 300 minuets of Premier League football.
Team News
Burnley winger Aaron Lennon has had a knee operation, ruling him out until the New Year.
Johann Berg Gudmundsson and Robbie Brady could be fit after injuries.
Key Factors to Consider
- Arsenal are unbeaten in their past 10 matches against Burnley, winning nine and conceding just four goals.
- Burnley have lost all six competitive fixtures at the Emirates by an aggregate score of 18-3.
- Arsenal sustained a first defeat in 15 Premier League games at Southampton last time out (W10, D4).
- They have lost just two of their 18 home Premier League games in 2018, with both defeats coming against Manchester City.
- The Clarets have now failed to score in their last three Premier League matches on the road.
Conclusion
While Arsenal have suffered with their defensive issues of late, Unai Emery should see this as the perfect opportunity to get their top-four push back on tack. With Burnley now failing to find the net in their last three Premier League matches away from Turf Moor, we’re backing the Gunners to come away with all three points and a rare clean sheet on Saturday.
Verdict: Arsenal win to nil
Best Odds: 21/20
Bookmaker: Bet365
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