- Burnley 0 – Arsenal 1
- Scorer: Koscielny (90’+3minutes)
- Venue: Turf Moor
#1 Burnley Will Survive
Sean Dyche’s team is commanding respect. Winning vs Liverpool at Turf Moor, and then somehow contriving to not win at Arsenal, in a game where the home side, undeniably having the better and the frequent opportunities to peg another giant of English football a notch or two. The staunchest supporters of Gunners wouldn’t have begrudged them a point, but would be hopping back happy on their coaches back to the capital. There were chances aplenty for the Lancashire side, who set out to hit the North London side on the counter. The average positions of the players showed a tightly knit unit that snuffed out all the attacking avenues that Arsenal were trying to explore. Such efficiency augers good fortunes for the Cherries down rougher waters.
#2 Koss The Boss Is The Perfect Arsenal Captain
Arsenal have struggled with inspiration in their side. Their last few people who have had the honour to carry the armband have been Mikel Arteta, Thomas Vermaelen, Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas, and William Gallas. Not since a decade, not since 2006-07 have Arsenal had a skipper that led by example. However, that may be a thing of the past, as Arsene has the perfect candidate in Frenchman, Laurent Koscielny, the man Arsenal fans lovingly call the ninja, who has been, throughout the better part of the last three seasons has been the singular source of consistent hope.
An indomitable presence in defence, like at Turf Moor, he has also been in the opponent box, with his aerial threat and his sheer doggedness to not lose a single battle. While there may have been a touch of fortune in his the manner he got the winning goal for Arsenal, that old adage of fortune favouring the brave rings true, and Kos deserves every bit of it. Stepping out of the backline, and into the spotlight, he’s one who would relish the responsibility.
#3 Is This Champions’ Form?
Not to jinx things, but Arsenal vs the bossy Burnley have displayed the type of luck that what commentators and football writers call ‘the Champion’s form’. Burnley laid out a flat back 5 and had every angle for Arsenal’s passes accounted for. Any other day, Arsenal would have been at the end of a 1-0 defeat, but their own resilience came to the fore. Few inches either way, and Vokes’ header could have ended up, snugly, into the back of the net. But this team was out and about to make their own luck and got their just rewards in the very end.
