Arsenal v Burnley August 17, 2019
Burnley Football Club began life as the ‘Burnley Rovers’ rugby club and became Burnley Football Club in 1882. They moved to their Turf Moor home shortly afterwards, at the invitation of the town’s cricket club.
Our very first game against Burnley was an away FA Cup game on February 1st 1896 which we lost 6-1. FA Cup campaigns gave way to organised football in 1888 with the foundation of the Football League – and since then Burnley have claimed many major honours. The first honour was a Second Division title in 1897-98 and the club’s improved fortunes were finally reflected in an FA Cup Final triumph at The Crystal Palace in 1914, with a 1-0 win against Liverpool coming just months before the outbreak of the Great War.
Following the War, the Clarets continued to make their mark on the domestic game and in the 1920-21 season the team enjoyed a remarkable unbeaten run of 30 league matches as they led the club to an inaugural First Division title, having been runners-up the previous season.
That magnificent league record stood for over 80 years, until being battered by Arsenal in the 2003/04 season.
Our first home game against Burnley was in Division 2 on April 2nd, 1898 and ended in a 1-1 draw, our goal was scored by Fergus Hunt (1897-1903). Arsenal’s starting eleven that day were: Roger Ord, John Caldwell, Alex McConnell, Gavin Crawford, John Anderson, Fred Davis, James Brock, Adam Haywood, Fergus Hunt, David Hannah and William White (this game was played 121 years ago and I just couldn’t resist putting the team’s names in print). Burnley went on to win the Div 2 title losing only two games – Arsenal finished in 5th place which was their highest league position to that date.
We have met Burnley at home on 48 occasions and we have only lost 9 games.
| Arsenal v Burnley – All home game results | |||||
| W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| Division 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 3 |
| Division 1 | 21 | 8 | 9 | 77 | 43 |
| Premier | 5 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 3 |
| Total: | 30 | 9 | 9 | 110 | 49 |
Our Premier League home record is close to impeccable winning all 5 games played and conceding only 3 goals.
| Arsenal v Burnley – EPL home game results | ||||||
| W | D | L | GF | GA | ||
| 1 | 06-Mar-10 | 1 | 3 | 1 | ||
| 2 | 01-Nov-14 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 3 | 22-Jan-17 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 4 | 06-May-18 | 1 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 5 | 22-Dec-18 | 1 | 3 | 1 | ||
| Total: | 5 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 3 | |
Burnley started the season very strongly with a 3-0 victory over Southampton at Turf Moor. Their striker Ashley Barnes led their scoring with 2 goals and will need to be watched closely at The Emirates.
Sean Dyche is an excellent manager and is sure to make it a difficult game for Arsenal. On Barnes performance Dyche noted: “I have great admiration for him. This pre-season he didn’t score a goal and he looked hungry for it. “The first goal was a fantastic touch and finish, it was great skill. His second finish was sublime, it’s a brilliant ball by Erik Pieters, but when centre-forwards finish like that it looks easy. It’s not easy when the ball is coming over your shoulder like that.”
Enjoy the game.
By GunnerN5
Bergkampesque 
Great stuff GN5 and nice to see our almost perfect home stats v the Clarets. I am with you we should not underestimate this game despite the good PL home record. What have Burnley to lose? And they will be feeling great after such a strong start to the season. Dyche is a great character and without doubt has the best voice in Football, but he also is a survivor and it is amazing that we now only really have to face them in the North-West these days – remember the up-north trips to Bolton, Blackburn, Wigan, and a bit more south Stoke? So well done to Burnley to be one of the few PL survivors. Looking forward to the game, about 50 ours to go!!
Other than the Liverpool teams of course (re North West)
BKers re last post, Admir just posted this:
“Thanks for your comments, people. I was busy yesterday with my birthday and all that stuff so I couldn’t put a comment of my own. I will try to answer to your comments in general.
Firstly, whilst it’s true that we had lost Top 4 last season for a goal or two (if Auba had scored that penalty at Wembley…or that sitter at Brighton when we were 1-0 up…or that one against Brighton at home similar to the one he scored v Valencia…or that sitter at Chelsea…or if we had avoided that brain-fart at Old Trafford at 2-1…or…meh), we also have to admit we had ridden our luck for quite a while, especially in small games. Mind you, we had a fantastic record v…er…remaining members of bottom two thirds of Top 6 (Chavs, Spuds, Scum). We won 3, drew 2, lost one and those who watched those games will agree with me that we could and probably should have won all six of them. Mustafi, a defender for whom I honestly believe should be taken to the electrician to check his brain wires, was not at fault for those points being dropped.
Which leads me to my next point. All other clubs could say they dropped points because of something. If Spuds hadn’t conceded that stupid Alderweireld’s own goal at Anfield, they’d have a point more. If they hadn’t conceded a late injury time header at Bournemouth, they’d have a point more. If De Gea hadn’t morphed into a giant octopuss at Wembley, they’d have at least a point more, if not all three. Etc, etc. Speaking of Spuds, their greatest weakness last season was the absence of Dembele who was sold to China and wasn’t replaced until Ndombele arrived. Their biggest weakness now is the right full-back position where I don’t see a player Walker’s or Trippier’s quality. Gooner Aurier is too crazy.
Also, there is another point hidden in our great statistic against RMoBTToT6. We finished behind Chavs and Spuds and only above Man U despite our superior record in the mini-league (Arsenal 11, Chavs 8, Spuds 7, Man U 6). In our victory v Spuds our key player was Rambo. In our draw at Wembley he scored the opener. In our victory over Chelsea he was a key in the middle, something Özil couldn’t reproduce in the EL Final. Don’t get me wrong about Ceballos – I’ve been a huge fan of his talent for years – but Rambo had both the work-rate Emery insists on and that heart on the sleeve moment in NLDs that I don’t expect from Ceballos…yet.
Let’s not forget about Bellerin’s injury against Chelsea made that victory a Pyrrhic one. Bellerin was crucial for our transition and attacking game before he got injured. We were scoring around two goals per game away from home when he was fit. Once he got stretchered off, we lost a lot more than just a player. Personally, I like the glass half-full perspective regarding his come-back but we’ll play Liverpool, Spuds and Man U before he returns and with all due respect to that brave lad who is deputizing him, it’s not the same.
As for the last night game, let’s not forget it’s a Supercup game. Dark Lord Ferguson used to rest his best players when Supercup was played on a Friday night so they stay fit for the Monday night game in Premier League. Liverpool didn’t play with their best eleven while Lampard, who needed a positive result far more than Klopp did, used his best players including recovered and omnipresent Kante, talented Pulisic and our own handsome Frenchman.
As for Luis Enrique, his spell with Barca was good. His spell at Roma was a disaster.
(Btw, I’d like to write a huge piece one day about Lampard, Solskjaer and Zidane, football legends of their respective clubs turn firemen on the bench, with Freddie in mind given what 17 said. Will I do that? That’s even tougher to predict than how our season will pan out.)”
Well Admir, best thing is to make a start asap and then rest will follow. Btw, do you believe Arsene could make a (interim) return to Arsenal IF Unai fails this season?
Fine comment btw..
Excellent preview, G5. I like this statistical part a lot even if it’s hiding important part of the truth: it’s almost never easy for us when we play Burnley. Save for the game that was Arsene’s farewell to Emirates, they never came to our soil with their pants down.
From the list, that 3-0 victory springs to mind. With 20 minutes to go, it was still 0-0. Thanks to brilliance of Sanchez and Calum Chambers’ goal, we won 3-0 but it was far from an easy victory. We all remember that 2-1 victory when Xhaka got sent off and Alexis scored a penalty deep into the injury time. Last season, we weren’t as comfortable as the final score might suggest – they had their chances to level the score. In the recent years, we had three controversial league victories over them – each one settled in the injury time (Koscielny’s goal and two Sanchez’ penalties) – and one tough FA Cup game at Emirates in which Chambers scored a peach of the goals.
I’d go with a 2-0 victory for us, with an obligatory goal for CC after a corner and Aubameyang’s scuffed finish. We’ll be top of the table for some time.
TA,
I don’t believe we’d go down the Arsene route again and I’m not sure he would be ready to take it either. It’s a different set-up now and I’m not so sure that he would want to work with the team he can’t change before he asks Raul for a permission.
If Unai fails to deliver, it would be one of these scenarios:
a) Raul goes to Manchester to ask for Arteta,
b) Raul calls Luis Enrique if he’s ready to clean Emery’s mess (ironically, he’d do the opposite of Remontada to Emery this time),
c) Raul calls Freddie and says: “Freddie, you are in charge now. Make opponents feel like they can’t wake from their sleep in The Elm Street when you go on them!”
Hahaha Admir, v funny. Okay those are good options. I wonder why Arsene has not committed to a football project as yet. He could do anything, as his reputation is still very strong. I just have a feeling that Arsenal is his only love in his life and he hasn’t given up on a certain change of mind by the one who showed him the door.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/who-scored-blog/2019/aug/15/arsenal-unai-emery-youth-chance
A good read…
TA wrote: Other than the Liverpool teams of course (re North West).
Are you ignoring the Manchester sides and Everton, then, TA? Ain’t they all in the North West?
It would seem the top 6 is shared amongst the north west sides and London teams.
Detailed preview, yet again, GunnerN5.
My Quick and sharp comments: I look forward to this lunch time game vs Burnley because I expect to see a more open approach by our boys, while still retaining control of possession. I still hold the view that pragmatism was crucial for the first game in Newcastle, seeing as we had a poor away record last term. Burnley won’t make it easy but it is the kind of contest and occasion where we should play with flair.
Xhaka may be a late fitness test too. I think we can score 4 goals, comfortably on Saturday.
Will return later.
TA
You make a valid question that requires a similar from me: why hasn’t Lord Fergie taken over from all those poor bastards that have occupied his throne? It’s not just his health – he is still around their club from what I can see and I’m not so sure he is comfortable with what he sees now.
I think it’s a similar thing to Arsene’s case. Arsene would have to raise his hand to ask a question to Raul while Fergie would have to deal with Woodward and his attraction to instagram-stars Pogba and Lingard. Neither of strong-hand managers would have the same power they used to have in their glory days.
Arsene is 70 and I think punditry is exactly what he should do and, probably, should have done years before his exit. His football (and overall) knowledge of things is encyclopedic, he is smart, charming and charismatic enough to keep you attached to his analysis.
His biggest legacy – aside from the stadium – is the glory of Invincibles. In a way, we have brought a couple bits of Invincibles to the club structure (Freddie and Eddie). Instead having real Arsene, the one that is aging and incapable of dealing with exhaustive every day tempo that Premier League requires, we have decided to keep the best parts of him.
If I’m right, maybe I should add fourth option for Emery’s ad interim heir – Patrick Vieira.
Hi Eris, it says ‘teams’ and Everton is a Liverpool team. I see the Manc teams more as (central) Northern but yes they could be regarded as North-West too.
All valid points. The difference between Red Nose and Arsene is indeed health. I don’t expect Arsene to come back for a long term but I reckon he just needed a break after 21 years of very, very hard labour for us. Yes he would not like a reduction in power but as an interim manager he would not have to mind this too much. Also, Arsene is very persuasive and, if Kroenke would ask him to come back, the Frenchman would have quite a bit of power. I am not saying I want this btw, but can see it happen this season if things do not go to plan.
New Post 🙂