Arsenal 0-0 Burnley: 5 talking points from Premier League draw

3. Substituting Smith Rowe for Nketiah

Clearly some way off peak physical condition, Smith Rowe had little to no impact in a first half where Saka and Odegaard were the few players trying to take the game to Burnley.

Having been so accustomed to playing out on the left side, positionally it didn’t feel comfortable for Smith Rowe in the centre as he wasn’t getting enough touches of the ball when he should have been coming deeper to collect from the defenders.

After the break there was a change in approach, with the 21-year-old drifting wider onto the left where he began having far greater influence. There were two big chances and some smart late arrivals, while he also fashioned the best opportunity in the whole game for Lacazette with a superb individual run.

But then Arteta took him off. For Eddie Nketiah.

Granted the options on the bench are slim at best and he is not even close to being match sharp, but it was a bizarre decision at a time where he was offering the most threat for Arsenal. Nketiah is lightweight and doesn’t have the running power with the ball under his control, which is what Arsenal needed and Smith Rowe was starting to add.

A strange decision.

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