Second Viewing

Second Viewing: Burnley vs. Arsenal 2019-20

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No surprises with the formation (4-2-3-1), although plenty in team selection:

  • Shkodran Mustafi keeping his place over Sokratis, despite being the general bane of every Arsenal fan’s existence, and the knock he picked up against Bournemouth.
  • Matteo Guendouzi picked ahead of Lucas Torreira.
  • Nicolas Pépé, and not Gabriel Martinelli (or Alexandre Lacazette) making way for Aubameyang in his return from suspention.
Burnley Away Lineup

Bukayo Saka went off at halftime—he probably should have gone off sooner—taking Arsenal’s preferred system of play with him. More on that later.

The Game

Burnley Away Stats

First Half
Time Phase Sequences
0:58 Attack Mustafi (+1) threads the ball into Ozil.
1:07 Attack Aubameyang (+1) gets the cross off. Lacazette (-2) sends the free header wide.
1:46 Defense Mustafi (-1) gets unsighted on the goal kick and lets it bounce off his shoulder to Burnley.
1:53 Defense Bellerin (-1) gives up the pass down the line. Guendouzi (-1) slow to recognize.
2:00 Attack Aubameyang (-1) tries to dribble out from his own box and gets stuck.
2:28 Attack Saka (+1) sends in a terrific cross that’s cleared for a corner.
3:36 Attack Saka (+2) beats two separate players 1v1 before being chopped down on the side of the Burnley box.
5:57 Defense Guendouzi (+1) reads the Burnley pass and intercepts.
5:59 Attack Guendouzi (-1) doesn’t get enough on his pass and turns it over.
6:01 Defense Lacazette (+1) tracks back to win the ball.
6:11 Attack Ozil (+1) finds Aubameyang (-1) in the hole, but his touch is heavy and allows Burnley to recover.
6:19 Attack Saka (+1) another terrific cross.
6:35 Defense Martinelli (+1) tracks back to win the ball.
6:38 Attack Xhaka (-1) plays Martinelli into pressure at midfield.
7:12 Attack Bellerin (-2) throws the ball into Ozil then inexplicably lets the return pass roll out of bounds.
7:46 Defense Ozil (+1) tracks back to steal.
7:52 Attack Lacazette (-2) inaccurately lays off in midfield starting the Burnley counter.
8:01 Defense Mustafi (+1) doesn’t fall for Wood’s feints, holding his ground until help arrives and the 1v1 chance is wasted.
8:18 Attack Guendouzi (+1) spins inside his own box then finds Ozil to release Arsenal into the Burnely half.
8:39 Attack Martinelli (-1) tries to go 1v1 down the right but is stood up and turns it over.
8:47 Defense Mustafi (+1) presses up on his man forcing the miscontrolled touch and an Arsenal throw.
9:10 Attack Luiz (+1) sprays the ball to Martinelli (-1), who miscontrols out of bounds.
9:39 Defense Bellerin (+1) forces Burnley to dribble out. Arsenal throw.
10:03 Attack Xhaka (-2) passes straight to Burnley.
10:14 Defense Xhaka (+1) wins his 1v1 battle.
10:53 Defense Aubameyang (+1) closes down in the Burnley half.
11:46 Attack Leno (+1) hits deep to Ozil (+1), who heads into Xhaka’s pathway to get Arsenal beyond the press.
11:51 Attack Xhaka (+1) juggles over his man in midfield.
12:11 Attack Guendouz (+1) threads the ball into Lacazette (-1) on the edge of the box. His flick on to Aubameyang has no chance.
12:49 Attack Mustafi (+1) splits four defenders with a ball into Lacazette (-1), who turns it over.
12:55 Defense Bellerin (+1) wins his 1v1 battle defensively.
13:16 Attack Luiz (+2) plays Aubameyang (-2) over the top, putting him through on goal. He shanks the shot.
14:07 Attack Ozil (-2) poor crossfield pass that’s intercepted.
15:50 Attack Saka (-1) goes 1v2 in the corner and loses the ball.
17:03 Attack Bellerin plays into Martinelli (-1), who miscontrols and turns it over.
17:54 Attack Leno (-1) inaccurate long ball.
18:02 Defense Mustafi (-1) loses Wood over his shoulder. Guendouzi (-1) doesn’t cover Xhaka. Leno (+1) good save.
19:43 Defense Leno (+1) punches clear.
19:55 Defense Luiz (-1) slow to react to Burnley’s entry pass.
20:45 Attack Guendouzi (+1) heads onto Lacazette (+1), who wriggles free to play Ozil into space.
21:00 Attack Ozil’s shot is deflected into Martinelli, who doesn’t know much about it but knocks back to Lacazette (-2). He’s 1v1 with the GK and kicks the ground.
23:08 Attack Calm from Xhaka (+1) to chest the goal kick to Ozil.
23:24 Attack Bellerin (-1) tries to combine with Ozil (+1) to get out, but lets the Burnley man come across him to steal.
23:32 Defense Guendouzi (-1) takes two fateful steps towards the ball and can’t recover, allowing the Burnley cross as a result.
25:13 Attack Mustafi (+1) plays over the top to Martinelli (-1), who loses the ball.
25:24 Attack Lacazette (-1) tries to flick Martinelli on over the top but gets too far under the ball and turns it over.
27:22 Defense Good leap from Bellerin (+1) to win the header between two Burnley players on the edge of the Arsenal box.
27:24 Attack Guendouzi (-1) should get to the ball first but doesn’t.
27:52 Attack Bellerin (-1) tries to squeeze the ball into Lacazette but has it cut out.
28:26 Attack Mustafi (-1) takes too long on the ball and has his deep ball blocked. Luckily it goes out of bounds.
28:54 Attack Guendouzi (-1) and Aubameyang (-1) not on the same page, resulting in a turnover.
30:02 Attack Bellerin (-1) throws to the other team.
30:07 Defense Lacazette (+1) steals the bouncing ball.
30:36 Attack Mustafi (+1) squeezes the ball into Martinelli (-1), who turns it over again.
30:41 Defense Martinelli (+1) harries Burnley into a turnover. Lacazette whistled offside—probably incorrectly.
32:00 Attack Martinelli (-1) tries to go 1v2 down the right and loses the ball.
32:53 Attack Guendouzi (+1) half-volleys the ball to Aubameyang.
32:57 Attack Aubameyang (-1) goes 1v1 at the Burnley defender on the edge of the box and loses.
33:06 Defense Mustafi (+1) goes up strongly to win the header off the Burnley long ball.
33:40 Defense Xhaka (-1) put off balance by McNeil, who crosses. Bellerin (-1) loses his man at the back post, then whiffs his attempted clearance. Leno claims.
34:56 Attack Xhaka (+1) heads onto Ozil (-1) down the right. His pass just evades Lacazette.
35:17 Defense Luiz (+1) blocks the cross.
35:53 Attack Xhaka (+2) plays Aubameyang (-1) over the top, whose touch gets away from him and allows the GK to come claim.
36:52 Attack Bellerin (-1) turns the ball over.
37:09 Defense Ozil (-1) slides to intercept, misses, and removes himself from the play.
37:13 Defense McNeil’s cross evades Mustafi (-1), Luiz (-1), and Saka (-1). Hendrick shoots over.
38:20 Attack Xhaka (-1) lets Hendrick get around him on a bouncing ball.
38:23 Defense Guendouzi (-1) vacates his area trying to win the ball off Wood. He doesn’t.
39:15 Defense Luiz (+1) wins the corner.
39:50 Defense Bellerin (+1) blocks the cross.
39:55 Defense Bellerin (-1) occupying no-mans land as Arsenal return to shape from the corner, and can’t get out to block the cross as a result. No one takes Tarkowski, but he heads over. Team (-1).
40:44 Attack Martinelli (+1) spins away from the first man…
40:46 Attack …but can’t do the same from the second. Martinelli (-1).
40:49 Defense Mustafi (-1) lets the ball bounce twice instead of pressing up on his man. Similar to the second goal home vs. Chelsea. Arsenal not punished.
41:00 Defense Mustafi (+1) blocks the cross.
41:09 Attack Ozil (-1) panicks as Guendouzi charges him. Turnover.
41:16 Defense Ozil (-1) commits the foul in a dangerous area by leaving a leg in.
42:01 Defense Xhaka (+1) wins the header, incorrectly given as a goal kick.
42:33 Attack Lacazette (+1) flicks Leno’s goal kick onto Aubameyang.
42:36 Attack Aubameyang (-1) passes too far in front of Martinelli.
43:20 Attack Ozil (-1) lets the ball bounce up on him then gets whistled for a high kick. Yellow card for dissent.
44:07 Defense Bellerin (+1) wins the free kick.
44:16 Defense Guendouzi (-1) defends well until the final moment, then gives up the cross. Xhaka (-1) sags too deep giving up the Mee header. Straight to Leno.
45:12 Attack Guendouzi (+1) plays the diagonal to Ozil (-1) down the right channel. He hangs onto the ball too long and gets nothing out of it.
45:30 Attack Guendouzi (-1) turns the ball over.
Second Half
Time Phase Sequences
46:15 Attack Mustafi (-1) overhits his deep pass out of bounds.
46:48 Defense Guendouzi (-1) misjudges the flight of the ball and it sails over him.
47:29 Attack Guendouzi (-2) leaves Luiz short on the layoff inside Arsenal’s own box.
47:55 Defense Bellerin (-1) caught too far upfield on the ball over the top.
47:57 Defense Bellerin (+1) able to recover and knock the ball out of bounds.
48:30 Attack Martinelli (+1) flicks the ball ahead to win a throw for Arsenal.
49:51 Defense Mustafi (+1) holds his defensive line, draws Wood offside, and still does enough to put him off on the header.
50:48 Defense Mustafi (-1) oversteps this time, and although he wins the header leaves space in behind. Burnley inaccurate with their pass, so Arsenal unpunished again.
50:52 Attack Bellerin (-1) chases the ball down but gets hurried into a poor pass infield straight to Burnley.
51:00 Defense Bellerin (+1) terrific tackle.
51:02 Attack Good hesitation by Bellerin (+1) to take Wood out of the play and get Arsenal out.
52:06 Defense Luiz (-1) lets Wood get in behind him. Bellerin (+1) well positioned to head clear.
52:24 Defense Luiz (+1) initially loses out to Wood on the cross, but jumps high enough to Block Wood’s header.
52:42 Defense Luiz (+1) steps into midfield to win the entry pass.
52:58 Attack Ozil (+1) finds Martinelli (-1) in the Burnley box between the lines, but he opts to shoot when he should probably pass and the chance is wasted.
53:29 Attack Weak pass from Aubameyang (-1) in midfield.
54:06 Attack Guendouzi (-1) with the loose pass in midfield.
54:09 Defense First Ozil (-1) then Xhaka (-1) are beat 1v1 down the Arsenal left. Xhaka ends the play by fouling.
55:26 Attack Xhaka (-1) smashes the ball deep when he had a number of options underneath to keep the ball.
55:55 Attack Ozil (+1) finds Lacazette (-1) inside the Burnley half. He wastes the ball.
56:24 Attack Bellerin (-1) has Martinelli ahead of him but heads on without any conviction.
56:25 Defense Martinelli (+1) runs 70+ yards chasing Taylor down the Arsenal right.
56:33 Defense Martinelli (-1) gets skinned. Torreira (-1) comes in to tackle too late and gives up the foul. Yellow card.
57:24 Defense Guendouzi (-2) loses Mee, but the header goes wide. Bellerin (-1) doesn’t cover himself in glory either.
57:57 Attack Lacazette (+1) gets around his man to head onto Aubameyang.
58:03 Attack Aubameyang (+1) beats his man and finds Martinelli in the hole.
58:05 Attack Martinelli (-1) passes left instead of right, then Ozil (-1) wastes the chance.
59:08 Defense Bellerin (-1) shades too far to help Martinelli, giving up the pass back and cross as a result.
59:12 Defense Xhaka (-1) beaten in the air, but Hendrick’s header goes wide.
59:53 Attack Martinelli (-1) can’t hold off his man as Arsenal struggle to get out.
60:24 Attack Torreira (-1) throws himself to the floor trying to buy a foul. Nothing given and Burnley break.
61:25 Attack Arsenal take the corner short, but Xhaka (-1) scuffs his cross.
61:12 Attack Bellerin (-1) tries to push and run past McNeil, but gets tackled by the second man.
61:14 Attack Torreira (-1) attempts the volley forward, but it’s cut out.
63:15 Defense Both Guendouzi (-1) and Xhaka (-1) seem surprised Burnley take the free kick when they do, depsite two minutes elapsing between foul and kick.
63:21 Defense Guendouzi (+1) blocks the cross.
63:34 Defense Mustafi (-1) gets caught out by a long pass from the Burnley GK. Guendouzi (-1) and Torreira (-1) fail to protect the back line.
65:56 Attack Luiz (-1) passes wide of Bellerin.
66:48 Defense Mustafi (-1) steps to win the header despite no cover from Bellerin. He loses the duel in the air, but Luiz (+1) wins his on the ground.
67:32 Defense Good closing down from Xhaka (+1) at midfield.
68:02 Attack Mustafi (+1) moves the ball forward with a pass between the lines to Martinelli.
68:05 Attack Arsenal are 3v3 but Willock (-1) slows play to a crawl and allows Burnley to recover.
68:30 Attack Aubameyang plays the ball into Martinelli (-1), who loses it.
68:40 Defense Martinelli (+1) drops in to win the ball back.
69:06 Attack Martinelli (-1) tries to beat his man 1v1. He doesn’t.
69:51 Attack Mustafi (-1) smashes forward when he has time/space to play short.
70:35 Attack Xhaka (+1) puts a good cross into a dangerous area. Burnley clear for a corner.
71:48 Attack Xhaka (-1) scuffs his shot.
74:19 Attack Bellerin (+1) beats his man 1v1 inside the Burnley box.
74:21 Attack Bellerin (-1) shanks his shot miles over.
75:00 Attack Guendouzi (+1) calm in the center of midfield to get the ball to Martinelli.
75:11 Attack Lacazette (+1) terrific cross to Aubameyang, who heads inches wide.
77:10 Defense Arsenal a mess in transition, leading to a Burnley cross. Team (-1).
77:30 Defense Aubameyang (-2) loses his man at the back post. Luiz (-2) switches off. Burnley rattle the crossbar.
78:28 Defense Willock (+1) wins the ball off the Burnley player.
78:48 Attack Guendouzi (-2) passes straight out of bounds.
79:45 Attack Martinelli (-1) loses the ball after attempting to go 1v1.
79:48 Defense Xhaka (-1) might as well not even be there, that’s how easily Burnley give and go around him.
79:53 Defense Mustafi (+1) tracks back to head the cross clear.
79:58 Attack Bellerin (-1) tries to cut his man inside the Arsenal third and loses the ball.
80:04 Defense Aubameyang (-1) switches off on McNeil, but Burnley don’t use him quickly enough.
80:13 Defense Bellerin (+1) gets over to block the cross.
80:19 Defense Aubameyang (-1) switches off on McNeil for the second time in 15 seconds.
81:23 Attack Mustafi (-1) hits deep but out of bounds.
82:16 Attack Lacazette (-1) flicks poorly and turns it over.
82:42 Attack Aubameyang (+1) picks out Torreira (+1), who finds Lacazette (+1), who spins but has his shot blocked.
83:15 Defense Luiz (-1) and Xhaka (-1) let Wood get between them.
83:21 Defense Xhaka (+1) blocks the cross.
83:22 Defense Guendouzi (-1) switches off. Aubameyang (-1) doesn’t sag deep enough. Bellerin (+1) comes over to put McNeil off just enough.
83:50 Attack Willock (-1) can’t hold off his man in midfield.
84:37 Attack Torreira (+1) picks up the ball from Guendouzi and tries a long pass that’s not long enough.
85:50 Attack Bellerin (+1) terrific cross. Burnley clear for a corner.
87:11 Attack Luiz (-1) hits deep. Cleared by Burnley.
89:02 Defense Mustafi (+1) quick to read the bouncing ball and step into midfield to win it.
90:07 Defense Martinelli (+1) blocks the cross.
90:45 Attack Martinelli (+1) hits the ball from the far side of the left field to the far side of the right.
90:51 Attack Aubameyang (+1) drives down the right then flicks backwards to Bellerin to cross.
91:03 Defense Luiz (-1) not strong enough, getting bodied off by Rodriguez.
91:17 Defense Bellerin (-1) nutmegged on the sideline. Torreira (+1) comes over to shield out for a goal kick.
91:47 Attack Aubameyang (-1) has his pass blocked infield.
91:53 Defense Torreira (+1) quick to latch onto a loose Burnley pass.

Game Recap

The game was relatively even, and it could have gone either way…

It depends on your perspective. Arsenal did create a number of scoring chances (mostly in the first half), but missed them in mind-blowing fashion, mostly due to poor technique, panic, or lack of intensity in crucial moments.

Is there any differences between the chances Arsenal missed and the chances Burnley missed? In a vacuum, probably not. But one team spent €152 million on transfers last summer, and the other spent €19 million. You’d hope the two €50+ million guys would be able to take at least one of their chances.

Yeah, but the loss of Bukayo Saka…

There’s no doubt Saka’s loss was a massive blow. Granit Xhaka’s been a lot of things since Mikel Arteta’s hiring, but a marauding left back isn’t likely to ever be one of them. It certainly wasn’t on Sunday:

Injuries have forced Arsenal to rely on their third-choice left back, but it says a lot about the state of the club that the loss of an 18-year-old left winger playing out of position causes the team to break down so completely.

Here’s a snapshot of Arsenal in the first half, pre-Saka knock:

Build Out Saka

And here they are in the first minute of half two:

Build Out No Saka

There are differences all over the pitch, but the main ones are the positioning of Xhaka/Saka and Aubameyang. In the first screenshot, Aubameyang is free to drift inside because Saka is occupying the left wing; it’s the same spot he’s in for the two missed chances in the videos above.

But in the second, Aubameyang is forced to give Arsenal’s attack width himself, resulting in fewer attacking options centrally and an isolated front three.

It’s curious that they didn’t invert the system and push Bellerin higher up the field with Torreira dropping in to provide cover. And even more curious that Nicolas Pépé, who would have provided the yin to Aubameyang’s yang, wasn’t given a run out.

Player Chart

Burnley Away Chart

I’ve been compiling this style of player ratings for nearly two-thirds of the season, and only the Watford debacle saw a worse score offensively (-33) than the -30 in this one. The -41 total score is the worst output in the admittedly short history of this blog. Consider also:

  • Only three out of 14 players finished with positive scores. One of them was the GK. Another was Bukayo Saka who didn’t play in the second half. Shkodran Mustafi was Arsenal’s man of the match; he scored +1.
  • Arsenal’s front three put up -18 combined. The midfield put up -15 (-19 if you count Granit Xhaka).

The stats show a nearly 60/40 split in possession in favor of Arsenal, but they’re using that possession more as a way to prevent opposing teams from having the ball than as a way to create chances themselves. Something’s got to give.

Player Focus

LW Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang [-6 Att |-4 Def |-10 Ovr | 90 mins]

Oof.

Lacazette’s contributions were the focus of pundits after the game, and after going a calendar year without scoring away from home you certainly can’t blame them. Aubameyang’s scored nine away in 2019-20 alone, and 14 overall.

But he was no where near his usual level in this one. In addition to the misses above, he consistently forfeited Arsenal possession. Only Martinelli gave the ball away more.

If possible, he was worse defensively. The best Burnley chance of the game comes from Aubameyang switching off and allowing Dwight McNeil a free header. Pay attention to Hector Bellerin as Xhaka blocks the initial cross:

He checks his shoulder, sees Aubameyang goal-side of McNeil, and steps infield to help Mustafi. Seven seconds later the ball’s nearly in the Arsenal net

We can debate whether or not the best outright goal scorer in the league should be asked to defend inside his own box, but if he’s tasked with playing as the 11 he has to to better than this.

ST Alexandre Lacazette [-4 Att |+2 Def | -2 Ovr | 89 mins]

Just because Aubameyang was worse, doesn’t excuse Lacazette. He’s in the team to hold play up, help Arsenal build out, and create/score a goal or two. He did virtually none of that against Burnley:

Remember this?

Playing Lacazette forces the other two members of the front three (Aubameyang and, in this one, Martinelli) to play out of position. Which is fine if it’s working. It’s clearly not.

That doesn’t mean it never will again. But probably time to try something new for a game or five.

LW Gabriel Martinelli [-10 Att |+4 Def | -6 Ovr | 90 mins]

Martinelli’s ascension to the first team has been one of few bright spots for Arsenal in 2019-20, but against Burnley he looked every bit the inexperienced 18-year-old. I don’t want to kill him. The only reason he’s in the team in the first place is because of a season’s worth of poor performances from those who were expected to carry the mantle.

But away to Burnley is a far cry from Novorizontino, and developing consistency in his game is something to work on as the season moves forward.

What I did enjoy was, even in the midst of a poor offensive performance, he still worked his socks off:

He’s beaten at the end, but this is a 75+ yard sprint covering for Bellerin. Does Pépé do the same? I think we all know the answer.

CM Matteo Guendouzi [-4 Att | -9 Def | -13 Ovr | 90 mins]

He got the nod over Lucas Torreira, who’s been immense at the base of Arsenal’s midfield since Arteta’s arrival, and didn’t do much with it. His biggest issue was trying to do too much:

In a team of players who look to pass on, rather than take, responsibility, there are worse things than a central midfielder trying to advance the ball up the field. Still, he needs to pick and choose his spots more carefully offensively.

It’s a similar story defensively, where he’s not nearly as disciplined (or as good technically) as Torreira. Arsenal frequently paid the price for that.

While it’s commendable that Guendouzi races over to cover Luiz, he does so so wildly and out of control that the Burnley player (Chris Wood) is able to cut back across him and find a pass infield.

Torreira got half the game anyway due to Saka’s injury. I’d be shocked if he didn’t reclaim his place for Newcastle.

Any good performances?

Not really. People thought Shkodran Mustafi played well…

CB Shkodran Mustafi [+1 Att | +/- 0 Def | +1 Ovr | 90 mins]

He scored positive at least, and he does have a pass in him:

Defensively though, too often he’s passive when he should be aggressive, and aggressive when he should be a bit more measured. His issues have always been more mental than physical. Every game without a match-killing error is a step towards rehabilitation.

Looking Ahead — What does it mean for Newcastle?

Don’t think I can predict anything other than a tie, can I?

Arteta will have two weeks to reshape Arsenal’s attack, and I’d imagine quite a few changes from the one that took on Burnley.

The league is well and truly gone, so it will be interesting to see whether Arsenal send out a full strength side four days before Olympiakos in the Europa League. If anything, I’d expect a bit of rotation as the club prepare for the only competition that still matters with respect to Champions League qualification.

Prediction: Arsenal 1 – 1 Newcastle