Burnley 1-1 Arsenal: Player Ratings as Granit Xhaka blunder costs Gunners two crucial points | Premier League 2020-21

Arsenal were held to a disappointing draw in the Premier League earlier today by a feisty Burnley side at Turf Moor. The Gunners will now have to play out of their skins to qualify for European football next season.

Arsenal had plenty of possession against Burnley and had several chances to put the game to bed. The Gunners were undone by a careless defensive error, however, and now find themselves in a lowly 10th place in the league table.

🗞 Read the full transcript from Mikel Arteta's post-match press conference following #BURARS 👇

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 6, 2021

Arsenal failed to take their chances against Burnley

Arsenal saw plenty of the ball in the opening stages of the game and stunned Burnley with an early opening goal as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put his side ahead with a low drive that got the better of Nick Pope. The Gunner were impressive in the first half-hour and created several chances of note.

Arsenal are prone to the occasional blunder, however, and Granit Xhaka was the culprit this time as the Gunners' attempt to play out from the back resulted in Burnley's equaliser.

Arsenal failed to maintain their first-half lead

Arsenal started the second half with a sense of purpose but Burnley's rigid defensive structure caused the Gunners a series of problems. Sean Dyche's team put in a well-drilled shift and thwarted most of Arsenal's attempts to break the home side's lines.

The end of the game saw plenty of drama as Nicolas Pepe's shot struck Erik Pieters' shoulder and cannoned off the post. A VAR review overturned the defender's red card, however, and Arsenal were denied a penalty.

Arsenal created a flurry of chances in stoppage-time and were inches away from winning all three points on several occasions. Burnley stood firm, however, and were able to steal a point from a difficult fixture.

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Burnley Player Ratings

Burnley put in an excellent shift

Nick Pope - 6.5/10

Nick Pope could have done better for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's early goal but made amends with a series of good stops in the second half. The English goalkeeper improved as the game went on and denied Arsenal a victory.

Ben Mee - 6.5/10

Ben Mee was Burnley's defensive organiser on the day and played an important role against Arsenal. The defender marshalled his troops with confidence and was able to thwart Arsenal's attempts.

James Tarkowski - 7/10

James Tarkowski was excellent against Arsenal's formidable attack and made several crucial interventions to prevent the Gunners from taking the lead. Tarkowski put in a commendable shift and was one of his team's best players on the day.

Charlie Taylor - 6/10

Charlie Taylor did have his fair share of problems against Bukayo Saka and nearly gifted Arsenal a goal in the first half. The left-back was taken off for Erik Pieters after the hour-mark.

REACTION | "After VAR, it was clearly a shoulder" - Pieters

— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) March 6, 2021

Matthew Lowton - 5.5/10

Matthew Lowton did not have the best of starts to the game and was easily beaten by Aubameyang as Arsenal took the lead. The right-back was a weak link in the first half but held his ground for the rest of the game.

Josh Brownhill - 6/10

Josh Brownhill was an effective cog in Burnley's pressing machine but Arsenal's domination of the ball meant that the midfielder was unable to dictate terms. Brownhill did have a few good moments and did well to harry the likes of Xhaka and Partey in the middle of the pitch.

Ashley Westwood - 6.5/10

Ashley Westwood was an imposing presence in Burnley's midfield and put in several tackles to stop Arsenal in their tracks. Westwood did have a few tense moments but was able to make amends against a strong midfield unit.

Dwight McNeil - 6.5/10

Dwight McNeil was one of Burnley's most creative players on the day and created several chances against Arsenal. The winger troubled Calum Chambers throughout the game and was a lively presence on the pitch.

Johann Gudmundsson - 6.5/10

Gudmundsson was unable to have as much of an impact in the final third but did put in a shift on the flank. The winger was replaced by Robert Brady in the second half.

Matej Vydra - 7/10

Matej Vydra posed a threat to Arsenal on the counter and had a few good moments throughout the match. The Czech forward linked up well with Chris Wood and had a positive outing.

Chris Wood - 7/10

Chris Wood was anonymous for the first half-hour as Arsenal dominated the ball. The Burnley striker scored a fortuitous goal as a result of the Gunners' callousness and is unlikely to be complaining at the moment.

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Substitutes

Burnley were excellent against Arsenal

Robert Brady - 6/10

Robbie Brady replaced Gudmundsson in the second half for Burnley and was disciplined against an Arsenal side that was searching for the winner.

Erik Pieters - 6.5/10

Erik Pieters had a close call towards the end of the game as a Nicolas Pepe shot ricocheted off his shoulder. The defender escaped with a yellow card and arguably prevented a goal with his intervention.

Jay Rodriguez - 6/10

Jay Rodriguez was a late substitute against Arsenal and had little to no impact on the proceedings.

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Arsenal Player Ratings

Burnley v Arsenal - Premier League

Bernd Leno - 5.5/10

Arsenal shot-stopper Bernd Leno did not have much to do for most of the game and has already received some rather harsh criticism for Burnley's goal. The German goalkeeper did decide to pass the ball to Xhaka but could do nothing about the manner in which the goal was conceded.

David Luiz - 6.5/10

David Luiz put in an assured performance for Arsenal and was effective against Burnley's counter-attacking attempts. The Brazilian also played a few exceptional long-range passes and has done enough to keep his place in the side.

Pablo Mari - 6/10

Pablo Mari had a few tense moments against Burnley in the second half but was able to do enough to thwart their attempts. The Arsenal defender also chipped in with some important blocks and was impressive for the most part.

Calum Chambers - 6/10

Calum Chambers was not particularly comfortable against Dwight McNeil and was often caught out of position in the second half. The right-back nearly scored Arsenal's winner in stoppage-time and was unfortunate to see his effort crash into the post.

Kieran Tierney - 6.5/10

Kieran Tierney was a lively presence on the left flank and often found himself in advanced positions for Arsenal. The Scottish left-back was unable to create concrete chances of note, however, and is capable of much more for his team.

A disaster at the back for Arsenal results in a gift of a goal for Burnley 🎁Chris Wood will never score an easier goal in his life! pic.twitter.com/h4jYPBebWN

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 6, 2021

Granit Xhaka - 3/10

Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has never been a fan favourite at the club and today's events are unlikely to play out as redeeming factors. The Swiss star was largely responsible for Burnley's equaliser and cannot afford any more high-profile errors in an Arsenal shirt.

Thomas Partey - 6.5/10

Thomas Partey had a good first half and made a few important interceptions as Arsenal dominated the ball. The Frenchman was unable to influence the Gunners' attacking forays, however, and did not complete the game.

Martin Odegaard - 6.5/10

Martin Odegaard did have his fair share of positive moments on the ball but found it difficult to scythe through Burnley's defensive structure. The Arsenal midfielder was replaced by Alexandre Lacazette as the Gunners looked to get their winner.

Arsenal have failed to beat Burnley in their last three Premier League meetings have won the previous 10 fixtures in a row.Stopped at Turf Moor. pic.twitter.com/w81E7YAdqk

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) March 6, 2021

Bukayo Saka - 7/10

Bukayo Saka was one of Arsenal's best players on the day and caused Burnley several problems in the final third. The youngster missed a number of gilt-edged chances, however, and still has some work to do on his final product.

Willian - 6.5/10

Willian has shown marked improvement in recent weeks for Arsenal and had an immediate impact on the game as he bagged an assist for Aubameyang's goal. The Brazilian winger's influence diminished towards the end of the first half, however, and Mikel Arteta took him off after the hour-mark.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - 6.5/10

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's love affair with Burnley seems to be as strong as ever with the Arsenal captain seizing the initiative to score the opening goal of the game. The highly-rated striker faded into the background after his goal, however, and was unable to guide his team across the finish line.

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Substitutes

Nicolas Pepe changed the game

Alexandre Lacazette - 6/10

Alexandre Lacazette was introduced in the second half to add to Arsenal's attacking threat. The French striker did manage to get himself involved in the Gunners' moves in the final third but was unable to find the back of the net.

Nicolas Pepe - 6.5/10

Nicolas Pepe had a transformative impact on the match in the last 10 minutes and created a flurry of chances for Arsenal. The pacy winger also struck the post with his late effort and made a statement with his cameo performance.

Dani Ceballos - 6/10

Dani Ceballos was brought on to add an element of control to Arsenal's attacking moves but was unable to pose a threat to Burnley's disciplined defence.

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