Arsenal travel to Burnley on Saturday for what is likely to be a tougher game than the one they faced last weekend against Liverpool.

Forewarned is, as we know, forearmed, so here’s everything Arsenal need to know to ensure they leave with all the points unlike Tottenham last weekend.

Burnley
Manager Sean Dyche
Home Ground Turf Moor (22,546)
League Position 19th
Record Signing Steven Fletcher (£3m in 2009)
Ex Gunners None (known!)
Top Scorer Danny Ings (11)
Top Assister Kieran Trippier (5)
Most Yellow Cards Ben Mee (7)
Star Player George Boyd
Biggest Liability Steven Reid

Style of play

Burnley are a well-drilled unit, with a body of players who play regularly with little rotation. This does mean they can tire a little towards the end of games, as we saw at the Emirates in November, and may offer some instruction on how patient we will need to be.

Goals are also fairly scarce for the Clarets – they have just 26 goals which is less than every team except Aston Villa (of nine games without scoring fame). A lot of that responsibility rests with much talked about forward Danny Ings, but where much of the play goes down their right, George Boyd has weighed in with some important goals – all but one of them have earned his side points – and the latest was the precious strike in the 1-0 takedown of Manchester City.

In some ways, they could prove to be Arsenal’s ideal opponent as they tend to play pretty cleanly despite the furore over Barnes’ challenge on Matic. They have the lowest card count in the league, which sees them second in the fair play table, and haven’t had a player sent off all season.

However, Burnley also tend to cede lots of possession, and Arsenal’s game at the moment has been based on being content to allow the opposition to dominate the ball, only to pounce at speed. It will be a test of our adaptability whether we can seamlessly settle back into the role of aggressor without becoming a bit kamikaze at the back.

Time will tell.

Anticipated lineup

Ings

Vokes

Barnes

Arfield

Jones

Boyd

Mee

Shackell

Duff

Trippier

Heaton

Season so far

Newly promoted back to the Premier League for the first time since 2010, Burnley spent less than £10m in the summer, the lowest amount of all the clubs.

They have had a steady but unspectacular season, earning points in every month of the campaign so far. However, they have been draw specialists, with 11 stalemates in total and three consecutive 0-0s in the early weeks.

Goals, and therefore wins, have been harder to come by, and Burnley have won just five league games. Slightly bizarrely, their only away win has come at a ground where Arsenal themselves have stumbled – Stoke City – but their home form has contributed more than two-thirds of their overall points total.

The reverse fixture back in November saw a rather dominant victory for the Gunners, with patience eventually rewarded with three late goals. Indeed, patience will be the order of the day again this weekend, as Burnley come into the game with just one goal in five matches, albeit a goal which defeated City.

Arsenal are one of the few teams so far to handle Burnley quite well. 10 of their 26 points have come against the sides competing for the Champions League places, with Man City taking just one point from the Clarets and even the ‘mighty‘ Chelsea drawing at Stamford Bridge.

The end of the season is never a good time to play a relegation-threatened team, but in current form Arsenal simply must ensure that they take another three points back to North London.

Versus

Arsenal’s last 5 results against Burnley: LWDWW

Competition Date Venue Result Scorers
League 01/11/2014 (H) W 3-0 Arsenal: Alexis (70,90) Chambers (72)

Burnley: –

League 06/03/2014 (H) W 3-1 Arsenal: Fabregas (34) Walcott (60) Arshavin (90)

Burnley: Nugent (50)

League 16/12/2009 (A) D 1-1 Arsenal: Fabregas (7)

Newcastle: Alexander (28 pen)

FA Cup 08/03/2009 (H) W 3-0 Arsenal: Vela (25) Eduardo (51) Eboue (84)

Burnley: –

League Cup 02/12/2008 (A) L 0-2 Arsenal: –

Burnley: McDonald (6, 57)

Record for Burnley v Arsenal:

040915 2109 Oppositionp1

Overall record between the two clubs:

040915 2109 Oppositionp2

040915 2109 Oppositionp3

Form

Burnley’s last 5 results: LLWLD

Competition Opposition Venue Result Scorers
League Tottenham (H) D 0-0
League Southampton (A) L 0-2
League Man City (H) W 1-0 Boyd
League Liverpool (A) L 0-2
League Swansea (H) L 0-1