Crisis averted. Or perhaps Arsenal were simply trying to keep themselves awake. While they briefly flirted with trouble after shipping a sloppy equaliser and even contrived to end a tepid game with 10 men, Mikel Arteta’s side returned to winning ways in the league after finding Burnley unable to handle nothing more fearsome than high balls into the box.
With James Trafford flapping at corners and Burnley’s defenders even losing out in aerial duels with Bukayo Saka, it was rather sedate after last weekend’s rumble with Newcastle. Even Arteta, who raged at the officials after that defeat, could afford to be playful while discussing Fábio Vieira seeing red for a nasty foul on Josh Brownhill. “VAR was right,” Arsenal’s manager said with more than a hint of sarcasm. “The referee was right. Really positive from Mikel to speak about that. Good decision.”
