You've Got To Be Kidding!

Almost 48 hours on, I still find myself shaking my head at how Arsenal managed to leave Burnley with just a single point on Saturday. In a game that they dominated almost throughout profligate finishing, the bizarre and inexcusable concession of the equaliser, and an absolute stone bonk penalty not awarded meant that the team's chances of finishing in a European spot in this season's table are further diminished.

So to pre-game, and a surprise start for Calum Chambers, with Hector Bellerin on the bench and Cedric nowhere to be seen. I guess Chambers' height at set pieces may have been a factor, and he had a solid enough game (without offering much going forward). As for the rest of the selection, it was as I think we all expected, with Willian retaining his place and Auba back down the middle.

Arsenal were on the front foot from the start, and scored early on. Leno rolled the ball to Partey on the edge of Arsenal's penalty area (nb for later, please), and he drove cleverly through the midfield by means of a one-two with Xhaka before releasing Willian, whose run stretched the Burnley defence. The Brazilian found Auba moving in from the left, and following a couple of stepovers our skipper fired low towards the near post - taking Pope by surprise as he failed to keep it out despite getting a hand to it. For a change, the early goal had gone Arsenal's way.

Arsenal continued on top as the first half wore on, restricting Burnley to hopeful punts upfield (although, to be fair, that's how they play, isn't it?), and Auba, off balance, missed a half chance when Lowton's clearance fell near him in the box. And then, on 22 minutes, came the first instance of profligate finishing as Saka, whose attempted one-two with Auba had somehow ended up at his feet just 5 yards out, inexplicably failed to at least make Pope work.

There were further opportunities - Auba was almost put clean through on goal by Xhaka's long floated pass, but Pope came out quickly to head the ball clear in the right back spot; if he's been a split second later he'd have been in real trouble. And then Saka didn't make the most of a decent run and pass from Auba. And then, calamity! 

Chambers from right back to Luiz; Luiz across to Leno; Leno short to Mari; Mari to Tierney at left back; short again back to Mari as Burnley began to close in; back to Leno, and then Xhaka came short to receive the ball inside the area and facing his own goal. He took a touch, which invited Vydra closer, and then his blind pass across the area in the direction of a wide split David Luiz only found the hip of Wood, which deflected the ball into the net. Probably 5 opportunities to clear the ball long in the space of 10 seconds - Leno mostly responsible for not doing so - and once again Arsenal had found yet another new way to concede a stupid and embarrassing goal. 

I personally don't have much issue with playing it short from the back in general, as Arsenal have generally learnt to do it quite well over the past few months - and remember, it was Leno's short ball to Partey that started the move for the goal. Burnley, however, had not watered the pitch, so it was a bit bobbly and lacking the slickness of a normal Premier League pitch; and look, that's their prerogative and suits their game plan, so I'm not criticising them for it. But the problem is that it was Xhaka, not Partey, who had come short - too short as it turned out. And when Xhaka is involved you just never know...

And so from a position of total dominance, Arsenal somehow found themselves only level at half-time. It took them a while, and a couple of substitutions, to shake themselves out of their self-induced lethargy/misery, but with the arrival of firstly Pieters for Burnley, and then Pepe (for Willian) things started to hot up a bit. 

First, Pieters went through the back of Lacazette and that resulted in possibly the loudest scream of pain that I've heard on any football pitch since lockdown started; he caught his achilles, I guess, and got a booking for it. And not long after Pieters handled the ball not once, but twice, when faced with Pepe in the penalty area. The first time was probably ball to hand but the second... well, it's difficult to believe that neither the referee nor (especially) the VAR could possibly deem that it wasn't deliberate. Hand away from the body and moving towards the ball, and it wouldn't have looked out of place on a basketball court. A clear penalty in the view of practically everybody - except the two people who mattered; referee Andre Marriner who saw it clearly enough in real time, and VAR Kevin Friend, who is no friend of mine. The decision beggars belief.

And that's another VAR decision that's gone against Arsenal, so if anybody could possibly let me know when precisely it's going to even out over the course of the season I'd be very grateful. As Arteta said afterwards: 'If that is not a penalty, will somebody explain what is in this league'. ' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEj1YKCnkaI

That incident woke Arsenal from their slumber, as they once more began to dominate play and created chance after chance - many of them more than decent - but failed to put any of them away. There were, however, two moments in the space of a minute when Burnley might have pinched it. The first when our mate Pieters caught a volley from 25 yards quite beautifully, and Leno was forced to back-pedal to turn it over the bar, and then when Wood was played through by Vydra, but Leno's outstretched boot saved the day. 

Otherwise, Arsenal saw 75% or more of the ball for the last 15 minutes. And in an incredible sequence of misses firstly Pepe failed to get any sort of decent contact, 8 yards out, to Tierney's low cross, when it looked easier to score. Then Pepe's right foot volley from Saka's perfect cross hit Pieters on the shoulder and bounced up onto the crossbar. Marriner, perhaps trying to make up for not giving the previous penalty, awarded this one and also gave Pieters a red card, but it was obvious that this would all be chalked off and it duly was. 

In injury time, Aubameyang's shot from the middle of the area was blocked by Mee, and moments later following some ping pong Saka had a shot blocked and Ceballos (on late for Partey) crashed the rebound against a post.

And that was that. A breathless finish, but justice was not done. Arsenal should have been comfortably ahead by the time they conceded that stupid, stupid equaliser. And then there were the two penalty incidents, and the woodwork saving Burnley not once, but twice. Games like this must be won, but that's two more points dropped, and things are looking bleak as we peer up from 10th place.

But there's still plenty to play for over the next week or so. Olimpiacos in the Europa League, sandwiching a game against The Middlesex on Sunday. They're back in form, with Bale finally remembering recently that he's a footballer. It won't be easy.

Let's hope for a change of fortune. Until then, stay safe.