Match Preview: Burnley vs. Arsenal – Prediction, H2H Stats, Team news, lineups, Odds

Arsenal play Burnley in Lancashire on Saturday to extend their 2024 Premier League unbeaten streak. Mikel Arteta’s side beat London rivals West Ham United 6-0 in gameweek 24, while the Clarets lost 3-1 at league leaders Liverpool.

Match Preview

Burnley manager Vincent Kompany helped Manchester City win several awards, but he couldn’t assist his old club at Anfield, where Liverpool rapidly recaptured top place from the Premier League winners last Saturday. Burnley surprise went into halftime level after Dara O’Shea’s acrobatic reaction to Diogo Jota’s opener in front of the highest Premier League crowd ever at Anfield, but Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez’s headers put them down in the second half.

The Blades’ surprise win at Luton Town last weekend has cut the gap to 17th-placed Hatters, who have played a game fewer, to seven points. Burnley are still without a win in 2024. Nunez’s insurance goal for Liverpool last weekend was the 50th the leaky Clarets have conceded in their first season back in the top flight, averaging just over two per game. However, scoring in five straight Premier League games gives them a bit of hope.

After a seven-game losing streak at Turf Moor before the season started, Kompany’s team has won three of their previous five matches in front of their home supporters, drawing Luton and Fulham to reasonable scores. Such numbers may be meaningless after Arteta led Arsenal to their greatest Premier League victory away from home to date and their joint-largest in league history against West Ham.

After waiting over 30 minutes for William Saliba to break the deadlock, Arsenal thrashed the Europa Conference League winners with goals from Bukayo Saka (two), Leandro Trossard, and Gabriel Magalhaes before Declan Rice scored the best goal with a long-range shot at his old home. Rice and Arteta did not celebrate Rice’s wonder strike in front of a half-empty London Stadium, but Arsenal fans were in high spirits as their team tied Manchester City on points and goal difference. City have a game in hand but are now only ahead of Arteta’s third-placed team on goals scored.

When George Allison led Arsenal to title glory in 1934-35, they won their first four league games. If they win at Turf Moor this weekend, it will be the first time in their history that they have won their first five league matches. Conceding a division-low 11 goals on the road in 2023-24 suggests that the Gunners are on track to write another chapter of club history against Burnley, whom they defeated 3-1 at the Emirates in November. They have won their last 10 Premier League trips to Turf Moor, but 50% of those contests have ended level.

Burnley Premier League form:
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Burnley form (all competitions):
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Arsenal Premier League form:
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Arsenal form (all competitions):
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Team News

Montpellier HSC-owned defender Maxime Esteve had to leave in the 80th minute of his Burnley Premier League debut at Anfield, but there is no indication that he will not play against the Gunners. Unlike long-term absentees Nathan Redmond (hamstring) and Luca Koleosho (knee), Lyle Foster was an unexpected absentee versus Liverpool owing to a chronic injury, which he has subsequently had operated on.

Jordan Beyer’s thigh injury is still bothering him, but Charlie Taylor’s shoulder ailment may recover in time for Saturday’s match. Hannes Delcroix should play left-back after returning from Anfield’s treatment room. On the topic of injured left-backs, Arsenal’s frequent calf victim Oleksandr Zinchenko missed the thrashing of West Ham with the injury he sustained against Liverpool, and Takehiro Tomiyasu missed the London Stadium slaughter after returning from the Asian Cup with a niggle.

Gabriel Jesus (knee) and Emile Smith Rowe (ankle) are also on Arteta’s touch-and-go list. The Spaniard’s decision to omit Jorginho for the West Ham match was surprising, but he later disclosed that the Italian was also injured. Jurrien Timber (ACL), Thomas Partey (thigh), and Fabio Vieira (groyne) are the visitors’ long-term absentees, although Vieira may return for next week’s Champions League last-16 first leg with old club Porto.

Burnley possible starting lineup:
Trafford; Assignon, O’Shea, Esteve, Delcroix; Odobert, Berge, Brownhill, Bruun Larsen; Amdouni, Datro Fofana

Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Odegaard, Rice, Havertz; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli

Prediction

Burnley 0-3 Arsenal