No one should doubt that Arsenal seems a more coherent side than the last time they faced Burnley, but no one should question their ability to self-immolate either. In December, they lost catastrophically in the Emirates, thanks to a goal by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and the unnecessary expulsion of Granit Xhaka. This time, Aubameyang quickly hit his personal score, but Arsenal, who were completely in control, threw him out after a surprising mistake by Xhaka that allowed Chris Wood to tie. Dani Ceballos shook a post with the last action in the game, but Mikel Arteta will wonder how the game was not won in a long time.
Aubameyang took just six minutes to suggest that this could be a cruise. Arsenal had started off brilliantly and, although the goal conception underlined how smoothly they are able to overcome thirds when Thomas Partey is fit, his opponents may wonder how they were so easily opened. Partey’s slide rule from one side to the other invited Willian to eat space and, in doing so, continue his recent revival. Aubameyang still had a lot to do when he received a pass from Willian to the left of the area and Matt Lowton, apparently dazzled by the attacker’s steps, put him on his favorite foot. Now there was room for a clear, low shot towards the nearby post. Nick Pope hit the ball with his right hand, but watched as it slid into the corner.
Pope probably should have done better, but his teammates, starting just as sloppily until last weekend’s defeat at Tottenham, offered little protection. They seemed clearer when drawing with Leicester here in the middle of the week, but had little response at the beginning for Arsenal, which had a rare six-day window to prepare for this mission and squandered clarity from the start.
This game is traditionally fierce, but in the 22nd minute Arsenal could have scored at least one more time. An unbalanced Aubameyang found the side net after Lowton, who initially responded well to Partey’s deft ball from above, hashed his clearance. Then Bukayo Saka, whose attempt to hit a return pass inspired such a panic that three Burnley defenders only managed to put the ball in their midfield, kicked it wide when a player in his rich form was supposed to score.
These two episodes spoke of Burnley’s nervousness and, at this point, there seemed to be little danger that any debauchery would be punished. Arsenal kept coming. Partey passed from 19 yards and Saka, who would have passed without problems, failed to hit an Aubameyang pass.
There was no sign of threat from the hosts, but that does not stop Arsenal from imploding. The attempt to build from the back seemed normal until Xhaka received possession of Bernd Leno before giving a touch and trying to launch a pass through his own area to David Luiz that no longer existed, considered without Wood’s presence. You have to be there to score them: the ball hit Wood, rolled and was so total that Arsenal’s control was that the reaction mixed disbelief with genuine joy.
Burnley may approach the second half feeling relieved: when they are 5% below full tilt, they may seem downright common, but here is a chance to recover. At first, they did not live as dangerously, although James Tarkowski was conveniently positioned to block an attack by Saka. If the direction of the traffic had not been exactly reversed, the flow of the Arsenal was much less insistent and the defense of the house was operating in something close to comfort by the hour.
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Arteta commissioned Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pépé to start their team’s attack. The latter was heavily involved in two decisions, one incorrect and the other indisputable, which guaranteed the parity to remain. Arsenal were furious when neither Andre Marriner nor VAR official Kevin Friend scored a penalty after Matt Lowton left an arm outstretched and prevented Pépé from trying to hit the ball around him. It seemed that Lowton was too close to withdraw his member, which seemed very generous. With six minutes to go, Pépé hit the post with what looked like Erik Pieters’ shoulder, and this time Marriner scored a penalty and a red card. A VAR check confirmed, to no surprise, that the decision should be reversed.
Between these two flashpoints, Leno superbly saved from Pieters and
Wood before Pépé somehow missed 10 yards. It has become an exciting game, but an Arsenal and Xhaka will kick each other for squandering.