Premier League: Arsenal Gunning for Revenge in Burnley!

Burnley vs Arsenal

When Arsenal visit Turf Moor for a Saturday lunchtime Premier League date, they won’t be there for a friendly encounter, they will mean business and they will expect a fight.

The Gunners are currently sitting in mid-table and off the pace in the race for Europe, but they will come up against a Burnley side which, after a shocking start to the 2020/21 campaign, have still not shaken off the relegation strugglers.

And there is added spice to this game with the not too distant memory of Burnley’s win at the Emirates, when Granit Xhaka was sent off for the second time against the Clarets.

Talking Points

Is the old Burnley back?

After a couple of lacklustre performances, against West Brom and then Spurs, Sean Dyche’s Burnley came up with a response against Leicester City on Wednesday night, taking a well-earned point and denied three by the woodwork and a man-of-the-match performance from Foxes’ keeper Kasper Schmeichel.

There is no questioning Burnley’s defensive prowess, the centre back pairing of Ben Mee and James Tarkowski, in front of England keeper Nick Pope, are a formidable rearguard, but it’s at the other end of the pitch where the Clarets have struggled. All four of their strikers, Chris Wood, Ashley Barnes, Jay Rodriguez and Matej Vydra have been injured this season, as have creative wide men Dwight McNeill and Johann Berg Gudmundsson. Dyche started with Wood and Vydra against Leicester and they terrorised the Foxes’ defence as the Clarets hit seven shots on target and Schmeichel made three outstanding saves.

Burnley are on fifteenth place in the Premier League table ahead of their match against Arsenal — Matej Vydra celebrates after scoring Burnley’s opening goal versus Leicester City

The Clarets are not out of the woods yet, just six points above the drop zone, but with most of their players fit again and looking like they still have something in the tank, they should win enough to pull clear of danger.

A point is no use for Arsenal

Sitting tenth in the league table and six points behind a European place the Gunners will struggle to make the Champions League place that they are desperate to regain, particularly for their captain and talisman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. It could actually have been worse had Arsenal drawn more than the four games they have during this campaign. Mikel Arteta’s team has won 11 and drawn 11 this season and now is not the time to start drawing.

The Gunners boss has already been linked with a summer move to the Camp Nou to take the helm at Barcelona and that will do little to settle his team as they approach the business end of the season. They have the quality but they now need to find consistency in their Premier League 2021 results if our SBOTOP tips are to swing behind them in the coming weeks.

Arsenal were at their very best last week to come back from a goal behind to beat Leicester City 3-1, as top scorer Alexandre Lacazette claimed his ninth goal of the season from the penalty spot.

Emile Smith Rowe has made a big impact, making four assists and if, as expected, Aubameyang returns to face the Clarets, the young attacking midfielder may take his place behind a front two. The return to fitness of wing-back Kieran Tierney had been a boost to the Gunners; he provides a key outlet on the flank and has an excellent delivery.

The Londoners struggled to make inroads into Manchester City’s defence in a recent 1-0 defeat to the Champions elect and while Burnley don’t have the riches of the Sky Blues, Arteta will know his team will have to be at its best to break down the Clarets.

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History

If our Burnley vs Arsenal betting tips put a lot of faith in the previous meetings we have to back the Gunners. Arsenal have had a firm grip on this fixture in Premier League times, winning 13 of the 17 meetings, drawing two and losing just two. But one of those defeats came at the Emirates earlier this season when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored at the wrong end; and when the two teams met at Turf Moor last season they played out a goalless draw.

Recent league form is in the balance; both teams have taken six points from the last five games; Arsenal have won two and lost three while Burnley have won one, drawn three and lost one.

Betting Tip

	Burnley vs Arsenal	Double Chance Burnley or Draw
	March 06, 20:30 (GMT+8)

The Gunners are at odds of 1.65 to win this game while the Clarets are at 5.20 with the draw at 3.70.

Dyche’s team is a tough nut to crack, losing just three from the last ten games, against Manchester City, Chelsea and Spurs, and Arsenal will be well aware they carry an attacking threat as well as a stubborn defence.