Xhaka’s blunder costs Arsenal in draw with Burnley
Southampton end long winless run despite Ings injury
BURNLEY, England, March 6, (AP): Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka gifted a bizarre equalizer to Burnley in a 1-1 draw in the Premier League on Saturday that further damaged his team’s chances of reaching the European qualification positions.
Xhaka received a pass from goalkeeper Bernd Leno inside Arsenal’s penalty area and attempted a risky pass around Burnley striker Chris Wood to teammate David Luiz with his weaker right foot. The ball went straight to Wood and deflected into the net off the striker’s hip in the 39th minute.
“There is always risk to play out from the back but this is our style,” Leno said. “I think we have more than enough situations where it works to our advantage.”
That goal canceled out a sixthminute opener by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in a game that only really came to life in the final 15 minutes.
After Arsenal were denied a penalty for an apparent handball against substitute Erik Pieters, the Burnley defender seemed to give away a spot kick in a separate incident in the 84th when a goal-bound volley from Nicolas Pepe appeared to strike Pieters’ arm and deflect onto the crossbar.
Pieters was initially shown a red card, but VAR looked at the incident and deemed the ball hit his shoulder, so both the awarding of the penalty and the sending-off were overturned.
“I’m a fan of VAR,” Burnley manager Sean Dyche said. “We know it has to be streamlined but that is where it’s worth its weight in gold.”
Burnley also came close to snatching victory, with Leno first tipping over a dipping long-range effort from Pieters before saving with his feet from Wood.
Then, in the final seconds, Arsenal substitute Dani Ceballos struck the post following a goalmouth scramble.
“It’s a really tough place to come on a difficult pitch, but I have to say we should have scored the big chances we had,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. “When you miss the chances we had, and you do not get decisions, it is complicated to win football games.”
On the first penalty incident involving Pieters, when the ball struck his outstretched left arm after coming off the boot of Pepe, Arteta said: “If that is not a penalty, then someone needs to explain what one is.”
Arsenal started the game nine points from the European spots and have only 11 games left. This latest setback may see Arteta concentrate even more on the Europa League, where Arsenal are into the last 16 and faces Olympiakos over two legs. The Europa League winners qualify for the Champions League.
Burnley moved seven points clear of the relegation zone. Southampton 2, Sheffield United 0
Southampton shrugged off the disappointment of losing Danny Ings to another injury by beating last-place Sheffield United 2-0 to end their nine-match winless run.
The England striker walked off the field in the 12th minute with an apparent right leg injury that was sustained off the ball and in seemingly innocuous circumstances at a free kick. SOCCER
Southampton overcame Ings’ absence as his replacement, Che Adams, scored from a fierce 25-meter shot in the 49th minute to add to a penalty converted by James Ward-Prowse in the 32nd.
A first league win in more than two months moved Southampton 10 points clear of the bottom three and will alleviate fears that Ralph Hasenhuttl’s team were being dragged into a relegation fight, despite a brilliant start to the season that saw them briefly in first place in November.
Sheffield United were destined for demotion to the second-tier Championship even before this 22nd loss of the campaign, with the team 12 points from safety.
Ings is set to spend a third spell on the sidelines because of injury this season. He has struggled with fitness issues in recent years, although managed to stay injury-free last season and finished second in the league’s scoring list.
It remains to be seen how long this latest problem keeps him out, and Hasenhuttl will be happy fellow striker Adams got back scoring after a 16-match goal drought.
It was a superb strike, too, as Stuart Armstrong chested down the ball after a clearance by Sheffield United was blocked and Adams thrashed a rising shot into the net from outside the area.
Southampton had gone in front after Ethan Ampadu brought down Nathan Tella in the area. Ward-Prowse sent Aaron Ramsdale the wrong way from the spot.