Burnley 0-1 Arsenal: Player ratings as Martin Odegaard bags classy winner

Odegaard celebrates his first half free-kick
Odegaard celebrates his first half free-kick / Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
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Arsenal made it two wins on the spin in the Premier League, lifting the mood among their supporters, with a gritty 1-0 victory over Burnley at Turf Moor.

Martin Odegaard's first half free-kick proved the difference, curling home from 25 yards after Bukayo Saka was scythed down by Ashley Westwood.

Mikel Arteta's side survived a scare midway through the second period when Aaron Ramsdale was initially adjudged to have brought down Matej Vydra following a slack Ben White back pass, but VAR intervened to spare Arsenal's blushes.

Here's how both teams rated.


Burnley player ratings

1. Goalkeeper & defenders

Charlie Taylor, Nicolas Pepe
Taylor contests a duel with Nicolas Pepe / Stu Forster/Getty Images

Nick Pope (GK) - 6/10 - Helpless to prevent Odegaard's free-kick sailing past him and saved well from distance on a few ocassions.

Matthew Lowton (RB) - 5/10 - Struggled against Tierney's explosiveness in spells but improved in the second half.

James Tarkowski (CB) - 6/10 - Marshalled the threat of Aubameyang well and looked assured alongside Mee.

Ben Mee (CB) - 6/10 - Commanded his penalty box well and snuffed out a few direct passes from Arsenal into the forward line in the first half.

Charlie Taylor (LB) - 6/10 - Kept Pepe quiet but didn't offer much of an attacking presence.

2. Midfielders

Dwight McNeil, Emile Smith Rowe
McNeil battles with Smith-Rowe / Nathan Stirk/Getty Images

Johann Berg Gudmundsson (RM) - 5/10 - Didn't offer the same attacking threat which he did against Everton and was left ball watching when Arsenal switched play to the dangerous Tierney on ocassion.

Ashley Westwood (CM) - 7/10 - Looked Burnley's biggest creative threat from central areas but he conceded the free-kick which led to Odegaard's goal with a needless tackle.

Josh Brownhill (CM) - 6/10 - Tenacious in midfield and kept Smith-Rowe's runs from deep in check.

Dwight McNeil (LM) - 5/10 - Offered his usual direct threat on the left flank but didn't influence the game in the final third.

3. Forwards

Ashley Barnes
Barnes unleashes a shot at goal / Stu Forster/Getty Images

Ashley Barnes (ST) - 4/10 - Booked early in the first half for a hand across Tierney and bizarrely didn't jump with the Burnley wall for Odegaard's free-kick.

Chris Wood (ST) - 5/10 - Didn't use his aerial threat to trouble Arsenal at any point.

4. Substitutes

Maxwel Cornet
The Turf Moor crowd were treated to their first sighting of Maxwel Cornet / Nathan Stirk/Getty Images

Maxwel Cornet (LM) - 6/10 - Nearly marked his debut with a goal but his strike was thwarted by Ramsdale.

Matej Vyda (ST) - 6/10 - Showed great anticipation to read White's back pass.

Jay Rodriguez (ST) - N/A


Arsenal player ratings

5. Goalkeeper & defenders

Martin Odegaard, Aaron Ramsdale
Ramsdale celebrates Odegaard's free-kick / Stu Forster/Getty Images

Aaron Ramsdale (GK) - 8/10 - Showed great promise with his distribution, especially from a punt upfield in the second half. Saved well from Cornet in the second half.

Takehiro Tomiyasu (RB) - 6/10 - Didn't motor forward with any great enthusiasm but handled the threat of McNeil well.

Ben White (CB) - 3/10 - Struggled to deal with the physicality of Wood and Barnes and his much heralded distribution was wayward. Very fortunate not to be at fault for a penalty concession.

Gabriel (CB) - 8/10 - Made a crucial last-ditch intervention to deny Barnes in the penalty area in the first half and defended excellently.

Kieran Tierney (LB) - 6/10 - Arsenal consistently looked to him with the threat from the opposite flank lacking but his final pass was wayward.

6. Midfielders

Thomas Partey (DM) - 6/10 - Orchestrated play at the base of the midfield but he lost composure in the second half amid Burnley pressure.

Martin Odegaard (AM) - 9/10 - Curled home a sumptous free-kick in the first half and his influence was greater in a deeper role. A few gorgeous cross-field passes.

Emile Smith-Rowe (AM) - 5/10 - Didn't impact the game as much as he typically does and was sacrificed for Lokonga.

7. Forwards

Josh Brownhill, Bukayo Saka
Saka made his moments count / Nathan Stirk/Getty Images

Nicolas Pepe (RW) - 5/10 - Ineffective and didn't get much change out of Taylor in one-versus-one opportunites.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (ST) - 6/10 - Isolated throughout and snatched at a few efforts from distance.

Bukayo Saka (LW) - 7/10 - Decisive in the final third and won the free-kick in which Odegaard put Arsenal ahead from.

8. Substitutes

Albert Sambi Lokonga
Lokonga was introduced in the second half / Julian Finney/Getty Images

Albert Sambi Lokonga (CM) - 6/10 - A calming presence upon his introduction.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles (CM) - N/A

Nuno Tavares (LB) - N/A