Let’s check out the player ratings from the Premier League clash between Burnley and Arsenal over at Turf Moor.
Burnley and Arsenal settled for a 1-1 draw in an action and drama-packed affair in Saturday afternoon’s Premier League clash.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang took only six minutes to hand Arsenal control at Turf Moor. Willian set the skipper up to slot the ball into the bottom-left corner with a clinical finish. It was his ninth league goal of the season and eighth against Burnley overall.
8 – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored more Premier League goals against Burnley (8) than against any other club, whilst only against Hamburger SV (9) has he netted more league goals in the top five European leagues. Quickfire. #BURARS pic.twitter.com/EuLZYNHru6
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 6, 2021
But the visitors failed to take advantage of their early dominance upon wasting opportunities to double their lead. And they paid the ultimate price thanks to Granit Xhaka’s huge blunder, which drew Burnley back on level terms for half-time.
The Swiss midfielder blasted a clearance straight into Chris Wood inside the box and the ball deflected off the Burnley striker and into the back of the net.
very rare goal by a player’s abdomen – when Arsenal Xhaka’s short pass inside the 18 yd box hit Wood’s tummy and the ball bounced into the net – unusual goal 1-1 Arsenal vs Burnley at half pic.twitter.com/qkReBTPssW
— Sun Min Kimes (@sunminkimes) March 6, 2021
That lack of clinical edge came back to haunt Mikel Arteta’s men in the second half. They lost their fluency from the opening period altogether and were left vulnerable to several scoring opportunities for Burnley, which forced them on the defensive.
Matej Vydra and Wood both came close to grabbing a match-winner and an Erik Pieters volley forced Gunners keeper Bernd Leno to tip the ball over the bar.
VAR then overturned a penalty decision in Arsenal’s favor towards the latter stages of the match. The referee initially gave Peters a red card for an intentional block on Nicolas Pepe’s shot with his hands, but the replays showed the ball hit his arm.
Aubameyang later had an effort blocked by Ben Mee in the dying moments and Calum Chambers smashed the post as Arsenal’s European qualification hopes took another blow.
Player ratings
Burnley: Pope (6); Lowton (6), Tarkowski (7), Mee (7), Taylor (7); Guomundsson (7), Westwood (6), Brownhill (6), McNeil (6); Vydra (5), Wood (7).
Bench: Brady (6). Pieters (7)
Arsenal: Leno (7); Chambers (7), Luiz (6), Mari (7), Tierney (6); Partey (6), Xhaka (3); Saka (6), Odegaard (5), Willian (6); Aubameyang (7).
Bench: Lacazette (6), Pepe (5).
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