Burnley 0-1 Arsenal: Player ratings as Martin Odegaard bags classy winner
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
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
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 (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 (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
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
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 (CM) - 6/10 - A calming presence upon his introduction.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles (CM) - N/A
Nuno Tavares (LB) - N/A