Arsenal recorded a fourth consecutive Premier League draw as they were held 0-0 in an entertaining stalemate with Burnley at Turf Moor.
Mikel Arteta’s side were profligate in front of goal in the opening exchanges as both Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missed good chances, but they were fortunate to avoid defeat late on as Jay Rodriguez struck the crossbar from point-blank range.
Arsenal move back into the top half of the table in 10th but are still 10 points off the Champions League places after extending their current barren run to one win in their last nine Premier League games. Remarkably, they have now drawn 13 league games – the most after 25 games in the competition’s history.
Burnley drew a Premier League match at home a year to the day since their last – 1-1 against Southampton – and the result moves them up to 11th, above Newcastle and Southampton on goal difference.
Fresh from engineering Burnley’s first win at Old Trafford in their last league outing, Sean Dyche sought to plot a path for a first Premier League victory against an Arsenal side who had won just six league games all season.
It was the visitors, however, who had two glorious openings inside the first 15 minutes but two players typically ruthless in front of goal were very wasteful. First, inside just two minutes, Aubameyang, on his return to the side, crossed for the unmarked Lacazette to head a yard wide from close range.
Aubameyang was then played onside by Charlie Taylor as he was found clean through on goal by David Luiz’s measured long pass, but Arsenal’s 16-goal top scorer showed signs of rustiness following his return from a three-game ban, slashing his right-foot shot horribly wide.
It was far too close a shave for Burnley manager Dyche, and his side duly sparked into life in direct fashion as Bernd Leno produced a fine save to deny Rodriguez from distance following Chris Wood’s knockdown into his path.
Burnley’s aggressive approach to regaining the ball high up the pitch contributed in them swinging the balance, but not before Nick Pope stood tall to deny Aubameyang’s lofted finish from Granit Xhaka’s pass – Arsenal’s first shot on target at 37 minutes.
The visitors subsequently lost their way as an attacking force. Dwight McNeil’s rasping drive from the edge of the box was well saved by Leno after Matteo Guendouzi was sloppy in possession, and it was McNeil’s cross that was then stabbed wide by Jeff Hendrick in the hosts’ best opening.
Arsenal’s frustration was growing when Mesut Ozil, on his 250th Arsenal appearance, was booked for dissent by Chris Kavanagh, and Arteta will have been pleased to have heard the half-time whistle. Arteta was forced into a reshape at the break as the injured Bukayo Saka was replaced by Lucas Torreira, but it was Burnley who continued to look more menacing.
Ben Mee appeared to get in James Tarkowski’s way as he headed over Ashley Westwood’s inviting free-kick, albeit replays showing the centre-back may have been ruled offside had he scored.
Arsenal were clinging on as Burnley’s aerial bombardment continued, with Rodriguez getting too much on his glanced header at the near post from another Westwood set-piece, before Hendrick was guilty of missing an even better chance as he headed McNeil’s cross wide from six yards out.
Arteta had seen enough, hooking the ineffectual Ozil on his first appearance at Turf Moor since 2016, introducing Joe Willock in a bid to stem the flow of Burnley pressure.
It looked to have worked when Aubameyang was presented with another glorious opening from Lacazette’s cross inside the final quarter of an hour, but he was once again unable to add to his seven goals against the Clarets, glancing his header inches wide.
Having so nearly secured a first away league win of the Arteta era at the third attempt, Arsenal were very fortunate not to suffer a seventh league defeat with 12 minutes remaining.
Rodriguez met McNeil’s header back across goal only to fire his shot against the underside of the bar, and with goal-line technology confirming the ball had not crossed the line, both sides had to settle for a point.
“I was hoping really (the ball had crossed the line),” Rodriguez told Sky Sports afterwards. “Any chance I should put it away, it should hit the back of the net. That’s what I’m really disappointed with. We will keep going and keep working hard.
“I think a point maybe is a good point in the end but maybe we should have got three.”
