Burnley vs Arsenal

Turf Moor

3:00pm

For the first time since the opening day, Arsenal will begin a match weekend right above their opponents of the day having mopped the league table for three weeks after three successive defeats to Brentford, Chelsea and the humiliating one against Manchester City.

Burnley aren’t in their strides yet, they won’t impress you with beautiful football and won’t even attempt to score many goals, but they assure you of grit and all the tackles you don’t want to face, ladies and gentlemen… Sean Dyches’ Burnley!

The Clarets rewarded Dyches with a new four year contract, they love what he’s doing, keeping them in the league on a very slim budget, defending deep and watching Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes bully defenders with physicality and Gundmonsson and McNeil offer the only creative outlets, interesting.

Let’s talk about Arsenal and their ambitions this season, it’s still very much unclear at this stage and the win over Norwich last time out doesn’t in any way placate their fans, seeing them out of the drop zone wasn’t the only plan but seeing them up there mixing with potential champions, can they get there soon?

How will the two teams line up for this fixture? Burley are going to defend, they will try to hit Arsenal on the break, they will be focused on ruffling the already weak feathers in the Arsenal back line and then depend on the ever reliable duo of James Tarkowski and Ben Mee to stop whatever Arsenal throws at them.

The Gunners are certainly going to be going for this, just like their Amazon project, All of nothing! They are closer to the bottom than to the top seven where they can discuss continental engagement, Arsenal will use the width through Nicolas Pepe and Bukayo Saka, Aubameyang is expected to start upfront again, they will really go for this.

For the first time ever, Burnley beat Arsenal at the Emirates through a Pierre Emerick Aubameyang own goal and then grinded out a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor on a day the VAR failed many Arsenal Fans; Burnley will draws inspirations from there and hope to do it again this term.

Arsenal’s defensive shape is beginning to look like it again, Ben White and Gabriel look like the real partnership and a surprise in goal with Aaron Ramsdale jumping ahead of Bernd Leno, that happening so fast wasn’t really expected but it is what it is and Arsenal fans can only hope that the future comes with happy moments.

Watch out for Burnley’s robust and physical approach, their plan will be to bully and disrupt, will Mikel Arteta keep this simple or try to match Burnley wit for wit?

Verdict: Arsenal to win