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Preview: Burnley vs. Arsenal - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Premier League clash between Burnley and Arsenal, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Arsenal travel to Turf Moor to face Burnley on Saturday lunchtime looking to make it back-to-back Premier League wins and three victories in a row across all competitions.

The Gunners slumped to a 1-0 defeat in the reverse fixture at the Emirates Stadium, though, and Burnley could now complete a league double over Arsenal for the first time since 1962-63.


Match preview

Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette celebrates scoring against Leicester City in the Premier League on February 28, 2021© Reuters

After a buoyant end to February, progressing through to the next round of the Europa League in dramatic fashion before beating Leicester City last weekend, Arsenal will be looking to carry that form into a difficult-looking March schedule.

Mikel Arteta's side must face top-four chasing London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United in the top flight this month, in addition to a European double-header against Olympiacos, but they need only look to the reverse fixture in December for evidence that they cannot afford to overlook Saturday's match either.

Arsenal will certainly arrive at Turf Moor in confident mood following their last two results, producing arguably their two most impressive wins of the season in those two games.

Whether that improvement comes in time for a late top-four push remains to be seen, but they have left themselves with a mountain to climb on that front and Europa League glory perhaps offers a more realistic route into next season's Champions League at this stage of the campaign.

Arteta's men have been beaten 11 times in the league this season - only in 2017-18 have they suffered more defeats in a 38-game Premier League campaign - and they have also failed to score in 10 league outings - one short of equalling an unwanted club record.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta in the Europa League on February 18, 2021© Reuters

Arsenal did not show many signs of that profligacy last time out against Leicester - a result which made it four away wins in their last six, having only won four of their previous 18 before that.

Indeed, the Gunners have fared better away from home than they have at the Emirates this season and, if history is anything to go by, they will be confident of improving that away record further on Saturday.

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last eight league visits to Turf Moor stretching back to December 1973, and have kept clean sheets in four of their last five such matches.

Indeed, Burnley have only ever scored seven goals in their 13 previous Premier League games against Arsenal, and never more than once in a match, so the Clarets may not be too hopeful of improving their meagre goal return this weekend.

Only rock-bottom Sheffield United have scored fewer than Burnley's 19 goals from 27 games this season, and the lowest goal tally of any team to avoid the drop in Premier League history currently stands at 28.

Burnley manager Sean Dyche reacts on February 13, 2021© Reuters

Sean Dyche's men therefore have work to do if they are to keep themselves at arm's length of danger, with only six points separating them from the relegation zone despite them losing just one of their last six top-flight outings.

Burnley have also only won once in their last eight games, but they picked up a creditable 1-1 draw with Leicester on Wednesday evening to respond well to their heavy defeat at Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

Wednesday's result means that the Clarets have now drawn each of their last four home games and could set a new top-flight club record of five in a row if the spoils are shared again on Saturday.

Dyche would regard a draw against a team of Arsenal's quality as a positive result, but he will also be desperate to see what is now a five-game winless run at home come to an end.

The victory at the Emirates in December should give Burnley plenty of confidence that they can pull off the double in this fixture for the first time in almost 60 years, but they will still go into the game as underdogs regardless.

Burnley Premier League form: DWDDLD
Burnley form (all competitions): LWDDLD

Arsenal Premier League form: DLLWLW
Arsenal form (all competitions): LWDLWW


Team News

Arsenal's Emile Smith Rowe goes down injured against Leicester City in the Premier League on February 28, 2021© Reuters

Arteta is blessed with a largely clean bill of health at the moment, with Emile Smith Rowe the only first-team regular over whom there is a question mark for this match.

The youngster was forced off shortly before half time against Leicester last time out and could miss out again on Saturday, with Real Madrid loanee Martin Odegaard set to replace him in the starting XI.

Arteta left the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Bukayo Saka, Thomas Partey, Rob Holding, Hector Bellerin and Dani Ceballos out for that Leicester game and was rewarded with one of his side's best wins of the season, so he faces a dilemma whether to welcome some of those players back into his team for this one.

Aubameyang netted the only goal of the game at the wrong end in the reverse fixture, but he has scored more Premier League goals against Burnley than he has against any other side so will be desperate to return to the starting lineup.

Nicolas Pepe has also begun to find some good scoring form, netting in four of his last five away league games.

Burnley, meanwhile, will be without striker Ashley Barnes, who has scored three of the club's seven Premier League goals against Arsenal.

Johann Berg Gudmundsson, Robbie Brady and Jack Cork will all be assessed ahead of kickoff, but the match may come too soon for Cork in particular to recover from a tight hamstring.

Burnley possible starting lineup:
Pope; Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor; Gudmundsson, Brownhill, Westwood, McNeil; Rodriguez, Wood

Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Leno; Cedric, Luiz, Mari, Tierney; Thomas, Xhaka; Pepe, Odegaard, Willian; Lacazette


SM words green background

We say: Burnley 0-1 Arsenal

Goals have not exactly been flowing freely for Burnley this season, or against Arsenal in previous meetings, and we expect that trend to continue here.

The hosts will not make it easy for Arteta's side, but when all is said and done we expect the visitors to come away with all three points.



Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting over 1.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Over 1.5:data


Video prediction

Watch the Sports Mole Football Shorts prediction for this game below:


ID:437815:cQx:QQ:

How you voted: Burnley vs Arsenal

Burnley
13.9%
Draw
13.1%
Arsenal
72.9%
251
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Burnley manager Sean Dyche reacts on February 13, 2021
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Todays Game Header Right
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City29215361214068
2Manchester UnitedMan Utd28159455322354
3Leicester CityLeicester28165748321653
4Chelsea28148644251950
5West Ham UnitedWest Ham27146742311148
6Everton2714493935446
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs27136846281845
8Liverpool28127947361143
9Aston Villa261241038271140
10Arsenal27115113528738
11Leeds UnitedLeeds27112144346-335
12Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2898112837-935
13Crystal Palace2897123047-1734
14Southampton2896133549-1433
15Burnley2879122036-1630
16Newcastle UnitedNewcastle2776142744-1727
17Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton27511112735-826
18Fulham28511122233-1126
19West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom2839162056-3618
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd2842221645-2914

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