It’s a draw affair for Arsenal, Burnley at Turf Moor

Arsenal were left ruing a defensive howler in the first half that cost them all three points after being held to a draw at Burnley.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had given Mikel Arteta’s side a sixth minute lead after a dream start, but an awful attempted clearance from Granit Xhaka bounced off Chris Wood to give the home side an equaliser before the break.

Arsenal then had two handball shouts turned down in the second half, before VAR came to the rescue of Sean Dyche’s side after a penalty and a red card against Erik Pieters was correctly overturned on review. The defender had been dismissed for appearing to turn a Nicolas Pepe shot onto the crossbar with his arm, only for a review to show that he had legally used his shoulder instead.

Aubameyang, whose low shot snuck in at the near post despite Burnley keeper Nick Pope getting a hand to the ball.

Mikel Arteta’s side looked comfortably in charge of the game until a shocking mistake six minutes before the break.

Arsenal attempted to play the ball out from the back with keeper Bernd Leno passing to Xhaka deep in the penalty area, but the Swiss international’s attempted pass to David Luiz struck Clarets striker Chris Wood and ricocheted into the net.

The north Londoners struggled to put Burnley under pressure after the interval, with Arteta eventually turning to Nicolas Pepe and Alexandre Lacazette to liven up his attack.

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Pepe missed a good opportunity at the other end and was then involved in some VAR drama when referee Andre Marriner awarded a penalty and sent off Pieters for handball as he cleared a goalbound Pepe shot.

Both decisions were then overturned by VAR after replays showed Pieters had chested the ball.

An unfortunate afternoon for Arteta’s 10th-placed side concluded when Dani Ceballos’ fierce drive in stoppage time rattled against the bar. Burnley remain in 15th place.