Burnley vs Arsenal: Player ratings as Ben Mee shines in entertaining draw

Arsenal were left frustrated after VAR and a Granit Xhaka error allowed Burnley to earn a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor.

Just six minutes into the game, Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored after cutting inside to give the Gunners the lead before Chris Wood equalised after a horrible error by Granit Xhaka.

In a game of few chances, the error by Xhaka on the stroke of halftime turned the tide of the match and granted Burnley a lifeline.

Late in the second half, substitute Nicolas Pepe had two penalty appeals for handball on Erik Pieters rejected by VAR, with the Dutchman’s red card rescinded for the second incident.

The result leaves the Gunners in 10th place in the Premier League, while Burnley remain in 15th – seven points from the relegation zone.

Burnley

Nick Pope – 5. The England goalkeeper failed to stop Aubameyang’s strike, even if it was a good finish.

Matthew Lowton – 6. Defended well against both Saka and Willian, although he was beaten far too easily by Aubameyang for the goal.

Ben Mee – 8. Defended well throughout the match, keeping Aubameyang quiet, and finished the game with a brilliant goal-saving block.

James Tarkowksi – 7. His remarkable range of passing is becoming a staple of the central defender’s game.

Charlie Taylor – 7. Dealt with Saka fairly well, and picked up a knock for his efforts.

Johann Gudmundsson – 5. The Iceland international is usually one of Burnley’s brightest sparks, but he struggled to make an impact and was withdrawn.

Ashley Westwood – 6. Westwood struggled early in the game, but his influence grew in the second half as Burnley began to dominate.

Josh Brownhill – 5. He was caught out on a number of occasions in midfield.

Dwight McNeil – 6. McNeil is usually Burnley’s most exciting players and while he was an effective dribbler, his end product was lacking.

Chris Wood – 6. He pressed well, but ultimately struggled. Wood knew nothing about his equaliser and should have given Burnley the lead with 10 minutes to go.

Matej Vydra – 6. Anonymous for much of the game, Vydra came alive in the second half

Substitutes:

Erik Pieters – 6.

Robbie Brady – 6.

Arsenal

Bernd Leno – 6. The German deserves a share of the blame for his part in the Burnley goal, passing to Xhaka when the midfielder was surrounded.

Calum Chambers – 6. The full-back was composed in his return to the starting XI, and dealt with the threat of McNeil well.

David Luiz – 6. The Brazilian battled with Wood throughout, and did well to keep the striker quiet.

Pablo Mari – 6. It was a fine day for the Spaniard, although he struggled with Vydra in the second half.

Kieran Tierney – 7. The Scot was a constant menace down the left-hand side, spending more time as a winger rather than a defender in the first half.

Granit Xhaka – 4. The Swiss midfielder had another classic game against Burnley: slow, predictable and the root of Arsenal’s issues.

Thomas Partey – 7. Partey was strong in midfield and broke up a number of Burnley attacks.

Bukayo Saka – 6. The winger almost doubled Arsenal’s lead but prodded wide. Like Arsenal, he became frustrated as the game wore on. Booked for a late challenge on Taylor.

Martin Odegaard – 6. Odegaard was always available as he buzzed around the pitch, particularly in the second half. His cut-back pass to Partey late in the first half was brilliant.

Willian – 6. The Brazilian’s redemption arc at Arsenal continued, as Willian drove forward and assisted Aubameyang for the opener. Quiet from then onwards.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 7. It was a trademark finish by the captain, cutting inside and scoring from the left wing.

Substitutes:

Alexandre Lacazette – 6.

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