Sean Dyche’s Burnley became the next victims of an Andros Townsend thunderbolt at Goodison Park on Monday night, but for a short while, the Clarets seemed set for a joyous evening on Merseyside after Ben Mee’s header broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute.
However, Michael Keane soon rose highest to equalise against his former club before Townsend’s unstoppable 30-yard effort sailed into the top corner of the net, and Demarai Gray would cap off a six-minute flurry of goals for the Toffees to condemn Burnley to a third defeat from four games.
The Clarets’ commitment to retaining the same core of players and their top-flight status on a limited budget has been admirable for the past few years, but with only one point to boast from a possible 12 so far, fears of another relegation battle are looming.
Dyche’s side have already dropped into the bottom three at this early stage of the season and have conceded eight goals in their four games – a far cry from their previously resilient defensive nature – and an EFL Cup penalty shootout win over Newcastle United is all that they have had to cheer so far.
Furthermore, Burnley welcome Arsenal to Turf Moor having failed to win any of their last 12 Premier League games on home soil – losing five of their last six – but the Gunners are not exactly a side full of unbridled confidence either.
How Arsenal only managed to find the back of the net once against Norwich is beyond comprehension to some Gooners, and the Canaries did have their moments, but Mikel Arteta’s side finally got off the mark for the season in a 1-0 triumph at the Emirates.
Despite having a total of 30 shots on the day – 17 of which were on target – the Gunners could only find the back of the net when Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang tapped home from a goalmouth scramble, but Arteta’s men are finally off the mark for the Premier League season at the fourth attempt.
Arsenal have now lifted themselves off the foot of the table and out of the relegation zone for the time being, and as their rivals’ European fatigue kicks in from this week’s continental matches, the Gunners will now seek to make their week’s worth of rest count.
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However, Brentford and Manchester City masterclasses means that the Gunners travel to Turf Moor having conceded seven goals and scored none on the road so far, and Gunners fans will not need reminding how a comical error from Granit Xhaka saw Burnley rescue a 1-1 draw in this fixture last season.
The Clarets also prevailed 1-0 at the Emirates last term in one of the few fixtures that supporters were allowed to attend, but Burnley have not beaten Arsenal at home in the league since the 1973-74 season
