Arsenal 1-0 Burnley: Player ratings as nervy Gunners stumbled closer to the title

Kai Havertz rose highest to head home Bukayo Saka's 37th-minute corner and inch an unconvincing and uninspired Arsenal side beyond already doomed Burnley on Monday, May 18. The Gunners needed to rely on their familiar set-piece magic because a goal wasn't coming from open play, despite Saka's best attempts to tease and torment in front of the home faithful.

Saka was lively from the off, while fellow winger Leandro Trossard provided some smart work from the other flank, but quality was largely absent from central areas. Not enough of what Martin Odegaard did came off, while Eberechi Eze was a passenger during another listless display.

Eze and Odegaard could feel reasonably aggrieved Havertz didn't offer the same movement and power as Viktor Gyökeres, despite his goal. Havertz was also lucky to escape a red card for a reckless lunge into Burnley No. 8 Lesley Ugochukwu, amid what became an increasingly testy atmosphere during the second half at the Emirates Stadium.

Nerves were eased only a little once Mikel Arteta finally sent for Gyökeres. The manager also mercifully hooked Eze and restored better balance to midfield by introducing Myles Lewis-Skelly and releasing Declan Rice from the constraints of shielding the back four.

Here are the Gunners' player ratings from an ugly, but necessary victory. A result that leaves Arsenal one win, or Manchester City failing to beat Bournemouth on Tuesday, from securing the title.

Arsenal 1-0 Burnley: Player ratings

Goalkeeper & Defenders

David Raya (GK) - 5/10 - He was on the pitch, but this was merely a watching brief for David Raya. Burnley had some promising opportunities on the counter, but the visitors never truly tested the best goalkeeper in England's top flight and, frankly, the best at his position in the overall world game.

Cristhian Mosquera (RB) - 5/10 - He's a central defender playing full-back. Mosquera is also a young player still adapting to a new league and a first season in a different country. Those are the mitigating factors, but there's no denying 21-year-old Mosquera did little to convince anybody he'll cope against PSG wing wizard Khvicha Kvaratskheli in the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday, May 30.

William Saliba (CB) - 7/10 - As unmoved as Raya, Saliba stood tall at the back and did his best to get Arsenal's own possession flowing quickly on a night of too many laboured performances.

Gabriel Magalhaes (CB) - 6/10 - Arsenal's most vocal leader kept his rage in check, despite the best efforts of Burnley frontman Zian Flemming to play pantomime villain.

Riccardo Calafiori (LB) - 6/10 - Not as confident, nor as effective raiding forward as usual. Calafiori showed signs of fatigue before making way for Piero Hincapié after 72 minutes.

Midfielders

Declan Rice (DM) - 6/10 - Miscast early thanks to Arteta's team selection errors, Rice needed freeing from the depths of midfield. Unfortunately, by the time hew was, the usual engine appeared to be running in neutral. At least Rice stayed focused tracking back and when needed to make a timely intervention or two on the edge of his own box.

Martin Odegaard (CM) - 6/10 - Some neat early touches weren't the precursor to another creativity clinic from Odegaard. He became guilty of taking one touch too many too often, while the schemer's radar wasn't operating at peak accuracy.

Eberechi Eze (AM) - 4/10 - Eze didn't get involved enough and was often content to stay static between the midfield and forward lines and simply wait for the ball to come to him. On the rare occasions he did drop deep, the former Crystal Palace star played some reckless passes as part of a performance he'll want to forget.

Forwards

Bukayo Saka (RW) - 8/10 - As he so often is, Saka was a class apart for the Gunners in attacking areas. His first touch was unerring, as was his delivery from dead-ball situations, with the corner a beautifully lofted cross to make the job easier for Havertz and put Saka into some rare company amongst club greats.

Kai Havertz (ST) - 6/10 - He rose highest to head home what proved to be the winner, but Havertz did little else to justify Arteta's decision to start him ahead of Gyökeres.

Leandro Trossard (LW) - 7/10 - Trossard wasn't lacking for ideas to get Arsenal behind a stubborn Burnley back line. Most of the Belgian's deft and clever passes freed runners and he was unluckly not to claim a goal for himself when his first-half shot slammed off the foot of the post.

Substitutes

• Piero Hincapié - 6/10

• Myles Lewis-Skelly - 6/10

• Viktor Gyökeres - 6/10

• Gabriel Martinelli - N/A - On in the 93rd minute.

• Martin Zubimendi - N/A - On in the 93rd minute.

Player of the match: Bukayo Saka

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow