MY ACCOUNT
Nick Pope made some superb saves and Alexandre Lacazette missed an open goal as Arsenal were held to a 0-0 draw by lowly Burnley at Emirates Stadium.
Playing in the Premier League for the first time since a defeat to Manchester City on January 1, Arsenal could have moved into the top four with a victory over a side that had conceded six goals across their last two away games.
Yet Pope’s resistance and Lacazette’s profligacy saw Sean Dyche’s team come away with a potentially vital point in their bid to stay up.
Mikel Arteta’s side, meanwhile, are now without a win in five games in all competitions as they failed to bounce back from their EFL Cup loss to Liverpool.
Aaron Ramsdale was somewhat caught cold for Liverpool’s goals in Thursday’s defeat, but Arsenal’s goalkeeper made a fine stop to keep out Dwight McNeil’s cross-shot.
Arsenal had 78 per cent possession in the opening 15 minutes, but it was not until the 20th that they troubled Pope, who made a smart save to deny Martin Odegaard, with follow-ups from Lacazette and Ben White blocked.
Having only just been booked for a foul on Kieran Tierney, Ashley Westwood was fortunate not to receive his marching orders when he flung an arm out at Gabriel Magalhaes.
An Odegaard free-kick landed on the roof of the net as Arsenal upped the pressure after the restart, before Pope pulled off a fantastic save from Emile Smith Rowe’s low effort.
Smith Rowe turned provider for Arsenal’s best chance, cutting back for the onrushing Lacazette, only for the striker to prod wide of an open goal as Arsenal’s winless run rumbled on.
What does it mean? Big point for Burnley, big miss for Arsenal
Arsenal do not have a game for 18 days now and will have to lament an opportunity missed to head into the winter break in the Champions League spots.
Burnley, who were looking to win consecutive away league games against Arsenal for just the third time following a 1-0 victory in last season’s corresponding fixture, well deserved their point, however. They remain bottom but have between two and four games in hand on their relegation rivals.
Pope proves his worth
Arsenal’s Ramsdale has been one of the goalkeepers to move ahead of Pope in the England pecking order over the course of the last season, yet Burnley’s shot-stopper was at his best to keep the Gunners at bay.
He made five saves in total, including that stunning one-handed stop low to his right from Smith Rowe midway through the second half.
Lacazette shows up Arsenal’s striker needs
With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang still unavailable for selection due to a heart problem, although he had been ostracised by Arteta anyway prior to his Africa Cup of Nations trip being cut short, Lacazette is leading Arsenal’s line. His horrendous miss showed up Arsenal’s requirement for a top-quality striker, though.
All three of Lacazette’s attempts missed the target. The Gunners have been linked with Dusan Vlahovic, who Fiorentina are willing to sell, while they are also reported to have interest in Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Will they make their move before the end of the transfer window?
Key Opta Facts:
– Arsenal have lost just one of their last 19 league games against Burnley (W12 D6), losing this exact fixture 1-0 last season.
– In all competitions, Arsenal (D2 L3) have failed to win any of their first five games in a calendar year for the first time since 1995.
– Arsenal have failed to score in four consecutive matches in all competitions for the first time since December 2005.
– The Gunners failed to win a home Premier League game against a side starting the day bottom of the Premier League table for the first time since October 2008 (4-4 vs Tottenham), having won each of their previous nine such fixtures before this game.
What’s next?
Arsenal return from the winter break with a trip to Wolves on February 10, while Burnley face Watford five days earlier.
