Arsenal Player Ratings vs Burnley: Just Make it Stop

Arsenal lost 1-0 to Burnley in the Premier League on Sunday evening. Here are the player ratings.

Without a win in their last four Premier League fixtures, hosting Sean Dyche’s Burnley became a daunting fixture for an Arsenal side in dire need to stopping the rot that has set in at Mikel Arteta‘s side.

Aspirations of a fast, out of the blocks start from the hosts died out after ten seconds, as Arsenal laboured through an atrocious 45 minutes of viewing. Perhaps the worst half of football you’ll watch this season.

Alexandre Lacazette came closest for the Gunners when Kieran Tierney‘s cut-back was met by the Frenchman, who was denied by the legs of Tom Pope. At the other end, Chris Wood should have scored for Burnley but couldn’t direct his header on target when well placed.

A much-improved second half saw Arsenal test Pope three times in the opening five minutes, only for a certain Granit Xhaka to implode with idiocy, shoot his team in the foot and produce a moment of inexplicable madness just as his teammate Nicolas Pepe had done a few weeks ago.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang then put past his own goalkeeper, and the rest of the game wasn’t even worth talking about as Arsenal at least showed some fight in their bid to find a route back into the game.

Arsenal lost their fourth game on the trot at home. To Burnley. Here are your player ratings.

Goalkeeper & Defenders

Bernd Leno (GK) – 6/10 – It’s the gameplan, sure, but Leno didn’t half put his players under pressure with some questionable passes out from the back. Did well otherwise.

Hector Bellerin (RB) – 4/10 – So ineffective down the right hand side. Him and Willian have less chemistry than a puddle of water. The opening period of the second half was much improved but it was so short-lived it’s already forgotten about. No penetration at all.

Rob Holding (CB) – 6/10 – Didn’t do too badly against the physically imposing Burnley forwards, yet his decisions off the ball left something to be desired: came short when he shouldn’t have and didn’t push up when he should have. Did make some good blocks and clearances, however.

Gabriel Magalhaes (CB) – 6/10 – Played a few wayward passes at stages that caused some panic, but he cleared all the balls that came into the box and made some decisive blocks when Arsenal were reduced to ten men.

Kieran Tierney (LB) – 6/10 – Another showing of passion and determination but one that lacked teammates to make his contributions worthwhile. The only full-back on the pitch capable of beating his man and whipping a delivery in.