Wood (39) ARSENAL 1 MATCH STATS
Aubameyang (6)
Mikel Arteta accepted Granit Xhaka’s bizarre error at Burnley as a price of playing out from the back, but admitted the draw leaves Arsenal facing a “really complicated” route into Europe.
Arsenal looked like easing to a comfortable win as they dominated after Pierre-emerick Aubameyang’s sixthminute opener, but seven minutes before the break, Xhaka took a short pass from Bernd Leno and kicked the ball against Chris Wood, watching in horror as it flew into the net.
It was another dismal moment for Xhaka, with the Swiss midfielder now guilty of eight errors leading directly to goals since the start of the 2016-17 season – the most of any outfield player in the Premier League.
“It is the way we play and the way we want to play,” Arteta said. “We have to know the risk and the rules for the way we want to play.”
Arsenal did not recover from the incident until a dramatic finale, in which Burnley sub Erik Pieters was involved in two Arsenal penalty shouts – one not given and another overturned by VAR – while Dani Ceballos hit a post in stoppage time.
Arteta was left incensed that Arsenal did not get a penalty when the ball hit Pieters on the arm at close range as he challenged Nicolas Pepe, but accepted VAR was right to overturn the red card and penalty awarded by Andre Marriner when the Dutchman blocked a Pepe shot on the line with his shoulder.
“It is obvious and clear, there is no debate,” the Gunners manager said of the first incident. “If that’s not a penalty someone must explain what is.”
It was a fifth successive home league draw for Burnley, who might have turned it into three points themselves as Wood shot
STAR MAN: JAMES TARKOWSKI was solid at the back for Burnley, showing the sort of form that will interest England. straight at Leno when clean through while Pieters also tested the Arsenal goalkeeper with an opportunistic volley.
Burnley boss Sean Dyche insisted his side earned their luck.
“They started brightly,” Dyche said. “We weren’t miles off, but our purpose and conviction showed in the second half. We let in a soft goal, but we pressed really well for our goal and that was part of our intention in the team performance.
“Woody was in the right place at the right time and pressing. He gets the reward for what the team do.”