These two sides began level on points in mid table and remain so after a thoroughly mid-table encounter. Forgettable is the expression that comes most readily to mind, though at least the Turf Moor fans will remember with fondness the sight of Nick Pope falling backwards in his own penalty area to plant his backside on the face of the already downed David Luiz, a player who did not endear himself to this part of the world by describing Burnley’s style as anti-football. On this evidence his own team are not so clever either. This was a long afternoon in east Lancashire.
The mystery at half-time was why Arsenal were not two or three goals in front, instead of moodily passing the ball around their own half with Mezut Özil summing up a particularly ineffective display by talking himself into a needless booking just before the interval. The visitors could have gone in front in under two minutes when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang picked out an unmarked Alexandre Lacazette with an inviting cross only for the striker to miss the target with a free header.
Related: Burnley 0-0 Arsenal: Premier League – live!
Continue reading...