Form
Burnley may have lost their FA Cup tie with Norwich City but two successive Premier League victories have really helped their top flight fortunes.
The Clarets were on a miserable run of four straight league defeats and looked set to slump even further down the table. However, a valiant fightback against Leicester City and a remarkable win over Manchester United have put a defiant stop to that downward spiral.
Arsenal were impressive in their 2-1 FA Cup win against Bournemouth, ending a short period of stagnation.
The Gunners had drawn their last three league matches, being reduced to ten-men in two of those. Some would say that the team is win-less in three and have discipline problems. Others would argue that they are unbeaten in three and have illustrated great character to fight on without a player. One can have very different takes on Arsenal’s form but fans are certainly backing Mikel Arteta and his progressive ideas.
Burnley have a poor record against Arsenal. Based on Premier League meetings, they have managed to win one point out of a possible 33 and that was from 2009! You have to go back to 2008 for the last time Arsenal lost a meeting with the Clarets. A Kevin McDonald brace helped Owen Coyle’s men overturn Arsene Wenger’s exciting youngsters in the Carling Cup.
Team News
Burnley have just signed Josh Brownhill from Bristol City but this clash will be too soon for the midfielder. The Clarets will be still be without Ashley Barnes who is in the process of rehabilitating his groin. Johann Berg Gudmundsson is also still out having picked up a hamstring injury in the FA Cup tie with Peterborough United.
Arsenal will welcome back Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and David Luiz from suspension. The Gunners reacted late in the transfer window, bringing Cedric Soares and Pablo Mari to combat a growing injury list. Shkodran Mustafi is the latest recipient of bad luck with the German picking up a nasty ankle injury at Bournemouth.
Predicted Line-Up
Burnley: Pope; Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor; Hendrick, Cork, Westwood, McNeil; Wood, Rodriguez.
Arsenal: Leno, Bellerin, Sokratis, Luiz, Saka; Xhaka, Torreira; Pepe, Ozil, Martinelli; Aubameyang.
Key Clashes
Jay Rodriguez v David Luiz
Rodriguez will still be thinking about his sensational strike at Old Trafford. The 30-year-old has become more involved in the starting eleven after an injury to Barnes and he will be licking his lips at the prospect of an unconvincing Arsenal defence. Luiz returns after his red card ban and the Brazilian is notorious for having a mistake in him.
Charlie Taylor v Nicolas Pepe
Gabriel Martinelli has been making the headlines recently while record-signing Pepe has fallen into the shadows again. The £72-million man has regularly shown glimpses of his talent but Arteta will be hoping that his winger builds upon those promising foundations. Taylor has been impressive and has had to force his way past Erik Pieters. The former Leeds United man is in good form but he will come up against a player
Jack Cork v Mesut Ozil
Ashley Westwood and Cork have once again been putting in the miles this season; one could forgive the two of them for feeling a little tired in the loss to Norwich. Cork will have to keep a close eye on Arsenal’s number-ten who is still trying to find his feet in Arteta’s system. Ozil had lost the backing of previous manager Unai Emery and took criticism from Freddie Ljungberg. However, Arteta seems intent on making him a key part of his plans.
What the managers have said
Dyche on good form:
“We had a blip and I’m pleased it was a blip. We’ve taken 12 points out of the last eight games with four defeats and four wins.
“We’re onto something but it’s putting it out there again and going and delivering a good performance again.
“We’ve not had our fair share of things go for us against Arsenal, so we want that to change.
“But the only way we can really earn the right is to go out there and work for it and we intend to do that.”
Arteta on Burnley:
"It’s one of the most English brands.
“What they do, they do it really, really well and they’re specialists at that. The type of game that they want to play makes it really difficult for the opponent, so we need to be ready for a battle, be clever and take the game the way we want.
“We will go there with complete focus and energy and a very clear plan, because if not, they are very hard to deal with.”