Granit Xhaka blunder gifts Burnley a point as Arsenal become their own worst enemies

Swiss midfielder adds to unwanted record of most errors by outfield player resulting in goals

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  Arsenal's midfielder Granit Xhaka and defender Calum Chambers react at the final whistle of their match against Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday, March 6, 2021. AFP

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  Arsenal's German goalkeeper Bernd Leno tips the ball over during the match against Burnley. AFP

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  Burnley's Charlie Taylor after picking up an injury at Turf Moor Stadium. AP

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  Ashley Westwood of Burnley against Alexandre Lacazette . EPA

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  Burnley's Chris Wood at Turf Moor Stadium. AP

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  Referee Andre Marriner initially shows a red card for handball to send off Burnley's Dutch defender Erik Pieters, a decision that was reversed after VAR review found no offence. AFP

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  Dwight McNeil, left, of Burnley reacts after Chris Wood scores against Arsenal. EPA

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  Burnley's Chris Wood scores their first goal. Reuters

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  Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, right, and Burnley's Ben Mee challenge for the ball. AP

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  Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scores their first goal at Turf Moor Stadium. AP

Arsenal face Tottenham next Sunday but local rivals are not their own worst enemies. That tag still belongs to Arsenal themselves.

A game where they had exuded class, appeared to have complete control and seemed to signify their recent progress instead ended in Burnley’s fifth consecutive home league draw. A bad point? “Absolutely,” Mikel Arteta said.

Dani Ceballos almost added to Arsenal’s tradition of injury-time winners at Turf Moor, but only after they flirted with defeat and after Granit Xhaka gifted Burnley an equaliser.

If to err is human, Xhaka is the most human of footballers. He has an unwanted distinction: no outfield player has made more errors that led to Premier League goals in the last five seasons. This was his eighth and there is something in Burnley that brings out the worst in Xhaka. He was sent off in Arsenal’s December defeat for grabbing Ashley Westwood around the neck.

The Swiss added to his roll of dishonour with a ludicrous pass across his own box that struck Chris Wood in the midriff and rebounded in. The New Zealander knew little about it, as his shrugging celebration suggested.

“If someone makes a mistake because they want to play I will always support them,” added Arteta, who has an ethos of playing out from the back. “I demand we play the way we do.”

But this was not an isolated incident. “We are talking about it all the time and trying to nullify everything we give to the opponent,” Arteta admitted.

His side possess too many error-prone players and Xhaka is not the sole culprit, though his fine form in recent months can be overshadowed by such pratfalls.

His was the day’s most consequential blunder. Referee Andre Marriner’s was overturned. When one substitute, Arsenal’s Nicolas Pepe, volleyed Bukayo Saka’s cross, another, Burnley’s Erik Pieters, did wonderfully well to deflect it on to the bar.

Marriner thought it was handball, red-carded Pieters and awarded a penalty. In a triumph of technology, both decisions were overturned by the VAR, Kevin Friend, who saw the ball struck Pieters’ shoulder. “I’m a fan of VAR,” said Sean Dyche. “That’s where it’s worth its weight in gold.”

Dyche joked: “It was a bit quiet so I thought I would put Erik on.” Pieters had an eventful cameo: Pepe wanted a penalty when he thought the Dutchman handled.

A rare scorer almost conjured a wonderful goal with a dipping volley that tested Bernd Leno, who also made a terrific save from Wood. An action-packed finale featured Pepe miscuing when he had a glorious chance and Ceballos rattling the woodwork.

Yet the defining moment came when Arsenal lost their initiative and advantage, stripping them of their early incision and invention for the next 40 minutes. “You have to come here and win comfortably,” Arteta rued.

Arsenal had begun brilliantly. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had delivered Burnley’s December winner at the Emirates with an own goal. He resumed his usual role as the Clarets’ tormentor; his eighth goal against Burnley was further evidence of Arteta’s wisdom in moving him from the left to lead the line.

It has created a vacancy that Willian has begun to fill. After a wretched season, the Brazilian has belatedly excelled.

His fourth assist in three games came courtesy of a driving run. He found Aubameyang, who skipped inside before shooting. The normally excellent Nick Pope should still have saved it, but it trickled over the line. “At the top level Popey is at, he will question himself,” said Dyche. With England manager Gareth Southgate watching, this felt the game’s first ill-timed error.

Arsenal’s recent improvement was apparent when a stretching Aubameyang almost doubled the lead and Saka should have done following a one-two with his captain. “We should have won by two or three goals,” Arteta said. “From what we produced, you have to win. When you do not, you have to look at yourself.” Not for the first time, they were architects of their own undoing.