Arsenal players reaction to Auba's own goal, Reuters
LONDON (Reuters) - Arsenal’s Premier League troubles intensified as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at home by lowly Burnley on Sunday with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scoring an own goal after Granit Xhaka was sent off.
The Gunners, who have now lost four straight home games for the first time since 1959, are in 15th place in the standings with 13 points while Burnley climb out of the bottom three moving up to 17th place on nine points after their first away win of the season.
The pressure will now increase on Spanish coach Mikel Arteta with Arsenal having made their worst start to a season in 39 years with their first home defeat by Burnley since 1974.
Mikel Arteta’s side were enjoying a spell of strong pressure after the interval, testing Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope, when Xhaka was sent off after a VAR review spotted him grabbing Burnley’s Ashley Westwood by the throat.
The London side have received six Premier League red cards since Arteta took over Arsenal in December 2019, double that of any other side in that time.
Indeed, Arsenal were lucky not to go down to nine men after Mohamed Elneny pushed James Tarkowski firmly in the face at a corner but was given just a yellow card after a VAR review.
Westwood created the decisive goal in the 73rd minute when his dangerous in-swinging corner was headed into his own goal by Aubameyang as he rose to challenge Josh Brownhill at the near post.
Arsenal created plenty of pressure in the latter stages but Sean Dyche’s team held firm helped by the excellent goalkeeping of Nick Pope.
Pope had kept Burnley on level terms before the break with a good save with his feet from Alexandre Lacazette in the 28th minute and a reaction save from a Bukayo Saka snap-shot after the interval.
Burnley striker Chris Wood had missed an early chance when he was found unmarked in the box by Robbie Brady but his head failed to find the target.
There were 2,000 supporters at the Emirates Stadium but some left before the end while one fan was pictured with his face mask pulled up over his eyes.
Arteta had no doubts that the red card turned the game against his side.
“We threw it away, we were in control of the game. When you give the red card away the game changes. I don’t know what it is we have to do to score a goal,” he said, before criticising Xhaka.
“We know that these things are unacceptable and the moment that we are in now it’s even more so,” he said.
Burnley manager Dyche was delighted his team finally got their first win against Arsenal in the Premier League era.
“I think the win gives us more belief. The fitness is getting better, the Premier League sharpness, the win adds to the belief but the next game comes around quickly,” Dyche said.
“People have been reminding me that we never beat Arsenal, so that’s another one down.”
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