Arsenal Vs Burnley: Recap, Highlights And Analysis

Arsenal continue their Premier League duties on Sunday hosting Burnley. Here’s the full recap, all the highlights and analysis from the  2-1 win.

That was a crucial win for Arsenal. With other results this weekend falling their way, primarily a loss for Liverpool, and both Manchester clubs and Spurs all drawing, building momentum with a win, moving second in the table and trying to keep pace with Chelsea were all vital consequences from the hard-earned 1-0 win.

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Arsene Wenger persisted with the team that beat Swansea last weekend and was rewarded with an excellent performance in the middle third for much of the game. Aaron Ramsey was superb throughout, seemingly finding his match-sharpness after his injury lay-off, relentlessly bombing up and down the pitch. Unfortunately, two stupid decisions left

The first half started in subdued fashion. Arsenal dominated possession with their usual approach, Burnley allowed them to hog the ball and looked to sit deep, soak up the pressure and threaten on the break. The Gunners looked dangerous at times, with both Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey playing repeated passes into the final third into Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. However, there was a lack of precision in and around the penalty area with moves faltering later in their development.

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Very much like the last time these two teams met, the game continued with the same hushed tones. Neither team could create many clear-cut chances – Tom Heaton did make a good save from a long-range curling Mesut Ozil shot, Alexis Sanchez curled a shot wide from inside the box, while Petr Cech made a couple of solid if not spectacular saves – and the crowd, quiet as ever, proceeded to watch on with a great sense of underwhelmed expectation.

The second half continued with Arsenal dominating and Burnley sitting deep. However, Wenger’s side did engineer a few more meaningful opportunities; Aaron Ramsey inventively scorpion kicked a shot over from close range while Alexis Sanchez struck a fearsome shot from inside the area that sailed into the stands, and the breakthrough goal did eventually come.

After a series of infuriating, short corners, Mesut Ozil delivered a whipped in, near-post cross. Shkodran Mustafi got in front of his marker and flicked a header just inside the back post with no player on the line to clear. It was a fantastic header from the German – his first goal since making the summer switch – and was nothing less that his team deserved.

With the game seemingly petering out and Arsenal heading towards a rather comfortable victory, Granit Xhaka decided to show his stupid since once more. First, he gave the ball away with a terrible five-yard pass. Then, in a rash and foolish decision to win the ball immediately back, dived in, two-footed with a scissor action, catching Steven Defour before hanging his head with a rash of red signposting his early dismissal.

Arsenal were able to control the flow of the game with only 10 men. Burnley threatened from long, diagonal balls, Petr Cech made an excellent save from a Defour freekick while Laurent Koscielny and Mustafi made numerous key blocks.

Then, drama.

First, Francis Coquelin, having come on for Alex Iwobi with Xhaka going off, with a lazy leg gave Burnley a late lifeline with a vindicated penalty. Andre Gray then powered the penalty home with Cech getting a hand to the penalty and it was seemingly a case of what could have been for Wenger and his team.

However, penalty drama again. Alexis Sanchez clips a ball towards the back post, Laurent Koscielny goes to head the ball, gets caught as he does so and looks up to see John Moss point to the spot. Sanchez steps up and, with an immeasurable streak of calmness, clips the penalty down the middle with Heaton diving to his right.

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It was an incredible end to a game that had been, in all honesty, rather dull up to that point. Ultimately, while there were signs to be positive, the performance was a little lacklustre, but the result was excellent, and that’s all that matters.

Highlights