Pain in the Arsenal
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Arsenal: 5 talking points from narrow 1-0 Burnley win

By Adam Schultz

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta reacts on the final whistle in the English Premier League football match between Burnley and Arsenal at Turf Moor in Burnley, north west England on September 18, 2021. - Arsenal won the game 1-0. - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by Lindsey Parnaby / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta reacts on the final whistle in the English Premier League football match between Burnley and Arsenal at Turf Moor in Burnley, north west England on September 18, 2021. - Arsenal won the game 1-0. - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by Lindsey Parnaby / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Arsenal, Mikel Arteta
Arsenal: 5 talking points from narrow 1-0 Burnley win as Martin Odegaard’s free-kick seals Premier League win for Mikel Arteta’s men. (Photo by LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP via Getty Images) /

How welcome this winning feeling? Back-to-back 1-0 victories for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal have the feel-good factor returning to the club.

Facing a Burnley side known for its physical approach and long-ball style, something that Arsenal has been notoriously bad at coping with, the Gunners proved on Sunday they have the steel needed to go to a place like Turf Moor and come away with the three points.

A pearler of a free-kick from midfield maestro Martin Odegaard in the first half proved to be the winning goal as the Gunners move up to the dizzying heights of 13th in the Premier League table.

Adopting what looked like a 4-3-3, Arsenal looked good in the opening exchanges with Thomas Partey in sublime form with consistent one-touch passes to break through the Burnley blocks of four.

Arsenal: 5 talking points from narrow 1-0 Burnley win as Martin Odegaard’s free-kick seals Premier League win for Mikel Arteta’s men

The Gunners had to withstand a barrage of Burnley pressure for the majority of the second half but dealt with it well thanks to Aaron Ramsdale and a superb defensive showing from the back four who repelled Burnley time and time again – especially the 40 crosses they attempted.

Is a corner being turned? Here are the talking points from Saturday’s battling Lancashire win.

Arsenal, Aaron Ramsdale
BURNLEY, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 18: Aaron Ramsdale of Arsenal celebrates after Martin Odegaard scores their team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Burnley and Arsenal at Turf Moor on September 18, 2021 in Burnley, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) /

1. The No.1 shirt is Ramsdale’s to lose

Say what you want about Arsenal shelling out £24m (soon to be £30m at this rate) for a keeper from the Championship, but Ramsdale has been nothing but superb so far in his Arsenal career with back-to-back clean Premier League sheets. In doing so, he is proving thousands of Arsenal fans very, very wrong.

On Saturday, the 23-year-old was immense. Grabbing incoming crosses with authority, commanding his box, using excellent distribution to go around and through Burnley’s pressing and constantly communicating with his teammates.

He also got Ben White out of trouble with an incredible intervention in the second half as Chris Wood was put through on goal from an under-hit back pass from the central defender. Despite referee Anthony Taylor pointing to the spot, after a VAR check you could see Ramsdale got the ball as White’s blushes were spared.

There is now an air of confidence from an Arsenal goalkeeper, something that has been missing for years and that flows on to the rest of the team. Aside from a few sticky situations, Ramsdale was just about Arsenal’s best on the day as he repelled countless Burnley attacks with authority.

With Ramsdale in this kind of form, Bernd Leno is going to have to be content playing cup games as it is clear from the few games Ramsdale has played that he is by far a better fit for how Arteta wants his keeper to play than the German.

There is no conceivable way he loses this shirt. None at all.

Continued…

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