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Three things we learnt from Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Burnley
Arsenal managed to snatch a late victory with ten men to keep their title hopes alive against a spirited Burnley side. It was a frustrating first-half for the home side as Burnley defended wholeheartedly with several key interceptions and blocks. They finally found a breakthrough thanks to a Shkodran Mustafi header, but just minutes later Granit Xhaka received a red card. Burnley scored an equaliser from the spot in stoppage time before a penalty of their own earned Arsenal the three points. Here are three things that we learnt.
Arsenal lost their heads and were fortunate to avoid another slip-up
The manner of this victory led to wild celebrations, but there are some concerns for Arsene Wenger to address, as his side nearly threw this away with two players losing their heads. The first came minutes after Arsenal took the lead, as Granit Xhaka put in a reckless tackle to foul Ashley Barnes. The midfielder was obviously frustrated at losing possession, but his reaction nearly cost his side a valuable three points. Xhaka is beginning to gain a reputation for himself and Wenger needs to work on his midfielder’s disciplinary issues, because the consequences may be worse next time.
Arsenal managed the game well after the dismissal and were edging towards the win. That was until Francis Coquelin was lazy with his challenge in the penalty area, conceding a penalty at a vital moment in the game. The Frenchman is known for being reckless at times and he was also very lucky that his side managed to get a late winner. There was no reason to kick Ashley Barnes in the way that he did, especially in the penalty area. Arsene Wenger didn’t portray himself in a positive light either as he was sent off for his reaction to the penalty award, before pushing the fourth official. Arsenal lost their heads this afternoon and should be counting their lucky stars that it wasn’t more harmful to their title ambitions.