Arsenal took on struggling Burnley in a Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Arsenal were able to conjure up a 3-1 win against a dogged Burnley side.
Arsenal huffed and puffed their way through the first half, whilst the Clarets defended diligently. Mikel Arteta will have wanted more cutting edge from his side, and Leandro Trossard provided it on the stroke of half time. The Belgian forward attacked a looping ball in the six-yard box and was able to bundle it over the line, suffering a hefty collision with the post as a reward for his efforts.
Burnley were able to level early in the second half, but the Gunners were back ahead in the blink of an eye as William Saliba rose highest to nod home from a corner. Oleksandr Zinchenko then sealed the three points with a scissor-kicked volley that arced into the top corner.
From there on it was plain sailing for the north London club. Though, the afternoon was slightly marred by Fabio Vieira receiving a straight red card.
Arsenal player ratings
David Raya – 7/10
Made a couple of smart saves and solid with the ball at his feet. Not at fault for the Burnley goal.
Takehiro Tomiyasu – 6/10
Takehiro Tomiyasu should have been stronger in the build up to the Burnley equaliser, but otherwise had a productive afternoon as he ably supported Bukayo Saka further up the pitch.
William Saliba – 8/10
Decisive at both ends of the pitch. Just after the break, Saliba timed a sliding tackle perfectly to prevent the Burnley attacker from taking a shot towards an empty net. Not long after, the £27 million Frenchman got ahead of James Trafford to head the ball into the back of the net.
Gabriel Magalhaes – 7/10
Solid alongside Saliba and even found himself playing in the right wing position at one point in the first half.
Oleksandr Zinchenko – 8/10
An excellent display from the £150,000-a-week left-back. Used the ball brilliantly, got stuck in defensively, and went full Karate Kid for his goal. Zinchenko has not been at his best recently but reminded everyone of his quality today.
Jorginho – 7.5/10
Dictated play from the base of midfield, and played some progressive passes that cut through Burnley in the middle of the park.
Kai Havertz – 6/10
Kai Havertz spent the first half on the verge of making a real impact, as he had a shot blocked, headed over from a corner, and was let down by the odd loose touch in good positions. Was taken off before the hour mark.
Declan Rice – 7/10
Not the most eye-catching performance we’ve seen from Declan Rice since his arrival at the Emirates Stadium as he went about his business efficiently.
Bukayo Saka – 6.5/10
A little quieter than his usual standards but Arteta will be just be relieved that Bukayo Saka came through this game unscathed.
Gabriel Martinelli – 8/10
A very direct and dynamic performance from the Brazilian today, as he seemed to enjoy having Trossard and Zinchenko available to link up with.
Leandro Trossard – 8.5/10
A fantastic showing from Trossard. Sent a message to Arteta that he can be relied upon to lead the line as he contributed a goal and an assist, and tormented Burnley with his movement and set-piece delivery all afternoon.
Substitutes
Fabio Vieira – 4/10
Can’t really argue against his red card.
Reiss Nelson – 6/10
Eddie Nketiah – 6/10
Jakub Kiwior – 6/10
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