Arsenal made it two wins on the spin in the Premier League, lifting the mood among their supporters, with a gritty 1-0 victory over Burnley at Turf Moor.
Martin Odegaard’s first half free-kick proved the difference, curling home from 25 yards after Bukayo Saka was scythed down by Ashley Westwood.
Mikel Arteta’s side survived a scare midway through the second period when Aaron Ramsdale was initially adjudged to have brought down Matej Vydra following a slack Ben White back pass, but VAR intervened to spare Arsenal’s blushes.
Here’s how both teams rated.
Nick Pope (GK) – 6/10 – Helpless to prevent Odegaard’s free-kick sailing past him and saved well from distance on a few ocassions.
Matthew Lowton (RB) – 5/10 – Struggled against Tierney’s explosiveness in spells but improved in the second half.
James Tarkowski (CB) – 6/10 – Marshalled the threat of Aubameyang well and looked assured alongside Mee.
Ben Mee (CB) – 6/10 – Commanded his penalty box well and snuffed out a few direct passes from Arsenal into the forward line in the first half.
Charlie Taylor (LB) – 6/10 – Kept Pepe quiet but didn’t offer much of an attacking presence.
Johann Berg Gudmundsson (RM) – 5/10 – Didn’t offer the same attacking threat which he did against Everton and was left ball watching when Arsenal switched play to the dangerous Tierney on ocassion.
Ashley Westwood (CM) – 7/10 – Looked Burnley’s biggest creative threat from central areas but he conceded the free-kick which led to Odegaard’s goal with a needless tackle.
Josh Brownhill (CM) – 6/10 – Tenacious in midfield and kept Smith-Rowe’s runs from deep in check.
Dwight McNeil (LM) – 5/10 – Offered his usual direct threat on the left flank but didn’t influence the game in the final third.
Ashley Barnes (ST) – 4/10 – Booked early in the first half for a hand across Tierney and bizarrely didn’t jump with the Burnley wall for Odegaard’s free-kick.
Chris Wood (ST) – 5/10 – Didn’t use his aerial threat to trouble Arsenal at any point.
Maxwel Cornet (LM) – 6/10 – Nearly marked his debut with a goal but his strike was thwarted by Ramsdale.
Matej Vyda (ST) – 6/10 – Showed great anticipation to read White’s back pass.
Jay Rodriguez (ST) – N/A
Aaron Ramsdale (GK) – 8/10 – Showed great promise with his distribution, especially from a punt upfield in the second half. Saved well from Cornet in the second half.
Takehiro Tomiyasu (RB) – 6/10 – Didn’t motor forward with any great enthusiasm but handled the threat of McNeil well.
Ben White (CB) – 3/10 – Struggled to deal with the physicality of Wood and Barnes and his much heralded distribution was wayward. Very fortunate not to be at fault for a penalty concession.
Gabriel (CB) – 8/10 – Made a crucial last-ditch intervention to deny Barnes in the penalty area in the first half and defended excellently.
Kieran Tierney (LB) – 6/10 – Arsenal consistently looked to him with the threat from the opposite flank lacking but his final pass was wayward.
Thomas Partey (DM) – 6/10 – Orchestrated play at the base of the midfield but he lost composure in the second half amid Burnley pressure.
Martin Odegaard (AM) – 9/10 – Curled home a sumptous free-kick in the first half and his influence was greater in a deeper role. A few gorgeous cross-field passes.
Emile Smith-Rowe (AM) – 5/10 – Didn’t impact the game as much as he typically does and was sacrificed for Lokonga.
Nicolas Pepe (RW) – 5/10 – Ineffective and didn’t get much change out of Taylor in one-versus-one opportunites.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (ST) – 6/10 – Isolated throughout and snatched at a few efforts from distance.
Bukayo Saka (LW) – 7/10 – Decisive in the final third and won the free-kick in which Odegaard put Arsenal ahead from.
Albert Sambi Lokonga (CM) – 6/10 – A calming presence upon his introduction.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles (CM) – N/A
Nuno Tavares (LB) – N/A