Granit Xhaka’s mistake and late VAR drama cost Arsenal draw at Burnley Premier League

No one should doubt that Arsenal look on a more consistent side than the last time they faced Burnley, but neither should anyone question his ability to self-immolate. In December, they lost catastrophically to the Emirates thanks to a goal against his camp by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and the unnecessary expulsion of Granit Xhaka. This time Aubameyang quickly settled his personal score but Arsenal, who had been completely in control, threw it out after a staggering error from Xhaka let Chris Wood equalize. Dani Ceballos sent a message with the game’s latest action, but Mikel Arteta will be wondering how the game hasn’t been won for a long time.

It only took Aubameyang six minutes to suggest that it could be a cruise. Arsenal had started skillfully and, while the design of the goal underscored how smoothly they were able to work in the thirds when Thomas Partey is in good shape, their opponents might wonder how they were so easily prized. Partey’s slide rule moving from side to side halfway to the other invited Willian to eat up space and, in doing so, continue his recent rebirth. Aubameyang still had a lot to do as he received Willian’s pass to the left of the box and Matt Lowton, seemingly dazzled by the striker’s footsteps, propelled him inside on his favorite foot. There was now room for a low, pierced shot to the nearest post. Nick Pope put his right hand on the ball but watched it sink into the corner.

Pope probably should have done better, but his teammates, starting in a similar fashion until last weekend’s loss to Tottenham, had offered only limited protection. They had looked sharper when drawing with Leicester here midweek, but had little response early on at Arsenal, who had had a rare six-day window to prepare for this mission and had oozed clarity right from the start.

This game is traditionally close, but in the 22nd minute Arsenal could have scored at least once more. An imbalanced Aubameyang found the side net after Lowton, who initially responded well to Partey’s skillful ball over the top, chopped his clearance. Then Bukayo Saka, whose attempt to reach a return pass inspired such panic that three Burnley defenders on cover only managed to regroup the ball in his own half, threw wide as a player in his wealthy shape vein should have marked.

Both of these episodes were about Burnley’s nervousness and at that point he hardly seemed to risk punishing any debauchery. Arsenal kept coming. Partey took the 19-yard side foot and Saka, who would have been flawless, failed to take a pass from Aubameyang in his stride.

There had been no scent of threat from the hosts, but that didn’t stop Arsenal from imploding. An attempt to build from the back seemed unremarkable until Xhaka, receiving possession from Bernd Leno before taking a throw-in and attempting to pass through his own box to David Luiz who was no more, counted without Wood’s presence. You have to be there to score them: the ball hit Wood, rolled in, and if Arsenal’s control had been so complete that the reaction mixed disbelief with genuine mirth.

Burnley could go into the second half with a sense of respite: when they’re 5% short of full tilt, they can look quite ordinary, but there was a chance to pull themselves together. At first they weren’t living as dangerously as James Tarkowski was in a good position to block a strike from Saka. If the direction of the traffic had not been exactly reversed, the flow of Arsenal was much less insistent and at a time when the local defense was operating in near comfort.

Arteta instructed Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pépé to start his team’s attack. The latter was heavily involved in two decisions, one incorrect and the other incontestable, which ensured the maintenance of parity. Arsenal were furious when neither Andre Marriner nor VAR official Kevin Friend allowed a penalty after Matt Lowton left an arm out and manipulated as Pepe looked to kick the ball around him. It seemed that Lowton was seen as too close to withdraw his member, which seemed very generous. Six minutes to go, Pepe flew against the bar, via what appeared to be Erik Pieters’ shoulder, and this time Marriner awarded both a penalty and a red card. A VAR check confirmed, unsurprisingly, that the decision should be overturned.

Between these two flash points, Leno had saved superbly from Pieters and
Wood before Pépé somehow poorly launched from 10 meters. It had become an exciting game, but an Arsenal and Xhaka will kick each other for wasting.