Burnley 1 Arsenal 1:ARSENAL'S FORM has been up and down like a fiddler's arm this season, epitomised by their game of two halves against Liverpool on Sunday, so it was no surprise they should devalue that victory by dropping two points against bristling Burnley here last night.
Of possibly greater concern to Arsene Wenger is the shoulder injury that put Cesc Fabregas out of the game after 43 minutes.
Fabregas opened the scoring with his 10th goal of the season, but Burnley extended their proud home record with a penalty from the gimlet-eyed Graham Alexander – his 100th career goal and his 70th success in 74 attempts from the spot.
Turf Moor has been a visitors’ graveyard this season, its five previous victims including Manchester United, Everton and perky Birmingham. The contrast between Burnley’s home and away form has been stark. At home they are a match for anybody.
Away they have taken just one point from their eight games.
There were doubts as to whether the Clarets would follow Wolves’ contentious lead and field their reserves ahead of the survival tussle between the two at Molineux on Sunday. To the relief of the vast majority (although presumably Arsenal would not have minded), Owen Coyle is made of sterner stuff, and only one of Burnley’s eight ever-presents this season was missing.
If Arsenal have an Achilles’ heel, it is when it comes to combating the high ball played into their penalty area, and there was an example of this fallibility in the second minute when Thomas Vermaelen’s attempt to clear Clarke Carlisle’s goal attempt succeeded only in scuffing a header backwards, testing Manuel Almunia, who was fully extended in touching the ball on to his crossbar.
Heeding their wake-up call, Arsenal took the lead five minutes later when Fabregas evaded Andre Bikey and Carlisle on the edge of the area before shooting low into Brian Jensen’s right-hand corner.
It could easily have been 2-0 in the 16th minute when Andrey Arshavin shot against the base of Jensen’s post.
Burnley chased and harried, enjoying a decent share of possession, but their passing tended to let them down in promising situations until the 28th minute.
Then Stephen Jordan’s ball into the penalty area bisected Vermaelen and Bikey and the Belgian defender floored his Cameroonian counterpart with a challenge which had Mike Dean pointing to the spot.
Penalty takers come no more reliable than Alexander, and equality was duly restored.
Jensen was called upon to tip over a goalbound header from Vermaelen, but after their success in drawing level it was Burnley who had confidence coursing through those claret veins.
The crowd responded, sensing another memorable scalp, and Arsenal were substantially weakened by loss of Fabregas just before half-time.
Aaron Ramsey, who replaced Fabregas, is going to be a fine player, but still only 18 he is not a playmaker in the Spaniard’s class, and the change did nothing for Arsenal’s prospects of righting the damage done by the equaliser.
Wenger prowled the technical area wearing the same disgruntled frown that preceded his “not-fit-to-wear-the-shirt” outburst at the weekend. This time, however, it was not a case of his players failing to apply themselves with due diligence. The problem was Burnley’s admirable work ethic and indefatigable spirit.
Chris Eagles was tantalisingly close to giving Burnley the lead with a rasping drive which cannoned out off Almunia’s left post. Steven Fletcher, too, might have rewarded Burnley’s lively pressing but, from Bikey’s cross, he blazed wide, left-footed, from 12 yards.
The striker did have the ball in the net after 70 minutes, after a ghastly handling mistake by Almunia, whose embarrassment was spared only by an offside flag.
BURNLEY: Jensen, Mears, Caldwell, Carlisle, Jordan, Eagles (Blake 83), Elliott, Alexander, Bikey (Gudjonsson 70), McDonald, Steven Fletcher (Nugent 83). Subs not used: Penny, Kalvenes, Thompson, Guerrero. Booked: Eagles, Caldwell.
ARSENAL: Almunia, Sagna, Vermaelen, Gallas, Silvestre, Walcott (Eduardo 63), Fabregas (Ramsey 43), Song Billong, Diaby, Nasri, Arshavin. Subs not used: Fabianski, Vela, Wilshere, Eboue, Emmanuel-Thomas.
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral).
