Arsene Wenger’s final home game as Arsenal manager returned a resounding 5-0 win over Burnley as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Sead Kolasinac and Alex Iwobi all saw the Gunners romp to a stylish victory.
Arsene Wenger bows out in style
As one might expect, Arsene Wenger received a guard of honour as he emerged from the players’ tunnel and was greeted to a sea of a red at a sun soaked Emirates Stadium. It was little more than the Frenchman deserved after building an empire in north London. While his legacy was tainted in the latter stages of his two decades in the capital, it was he who established the Gunners as one of the Premier League’s most feared sides as he revolutionised the way players behave before and after matches to the finest detail, from dieting to stretching.
It may not have ended with the bang that would’ve come with a European trophy would’ve delivered, but there’s the foundation in place for further success. The scale of his longevity can be summarised in that 46.5% of Arsenal’s top-4 finishes have come under Wenger. While they won’t achieve the feat this season, Wenger bowed out at the Emirates in style as Arsenal romped to a 5-0 win over a Burnley side that struggled to match their Premier League counterparts and in the process, seal a top-6 finish. It was a performance befitting of a manager that took Arsenal to the next level.
The blossoming partnership between Lacazette and Aubameyang
Arsene Wenger named Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette in the same starting XI for the just the second time since the former’s arrival from Borussia Dortmund and the duo got off to the perfect start in north London against Burnley. Lacazette turned provider for Aubemeyang to put Arsenal ahead, returning the favour after the latter assisted the former at Newcastle last month. When Aubameyang joined in January, some at the club feared for Lacazette’s future at the club.
However, while both would favour leading the attack, they showed plenty of signs that a partnership is blossoming. Lacazette prefers dropping deeper, while when starting on the wing, Aubameyang can attack the space his teammate leaves vacant, which was exactly how the Gunners’ first goal came about. Lacazette moved to the right, played a nice one-two with Alex Iwobi before lashing a low cross for Aubameyang to tap in past Nick Pope.
The duo worked well together against Burnley, with Aubameyang maximising his license to roam by often drifting in field that saw Arsenal at times operating in a 4-4-2 setup, with Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan pulling to the flanks. When Lacazette was withdrawn from action, Aubameyang moved to the central striker and added his second after connecting well with a Hector Bellerin cross. Nevertheless, the duo showed they are more than capable of playing together on Sunday and provides proof that both can play at the same time and not at the expense of one another.
- Aubameyang
- Lacazette
- Kolosniac
- Iwobi
- Aubameyang
What a send off for Wenger!
#Arsenal
#MerciWenger
Burnley sleepwalking their way to the end of the season
After an indifferent run of form in the season, Burnley rediscovered their winning mentality at just the right time and have guaranteed a Europa League place next season. However, after today’s loss in the capital, the Clarets have failed to win their last four, losing two. They had an incredible opportunity to finish above Arsenal, yet looked a cut below their Premier League counterparts in Sunday’s meeting. It wasn’t until the 50th minute that they mustered their first shot on goal, and that was an easy save for Petr Cech after Sam Vokes headed straight at the Gunners shotstopper.
They gave the performance of a team that is very much resting on their laurels. It is now impossible for them to be caught by Everton and to finish any higher than seventh, with the showing at the Emirates that of a team whose players already have one eye on the summer. Burnley very much exceeded expectations this season, yet they showed little fight and determination at the Emirates and it translated to a limp display from Sean Dyche’s side.
A fine home debut for Konstantinos Mavropanos
Konstantinos Mavropanos was handed a sink or swim debut at Manchester United last week and having kept his head above water at Old Trafford, he showed no ill-effects on his first Premier League start for Arsenal at the Emirates. The 20-year-old was a January arrival from PAS Giannina at the turn of the year and while not a household name prior to his capture, he certainly made himself a fan favourite with a solid display against Burnley.
Granted, the Clarets were a hospitable opponent, but whenever they did get forward, Mavropanos was on hand to mop up the danger. Indeed, the Greek centre-back won five aerial duels, made six clearances and four interceptions in a hugely mature display at the heart of the Arsenal defence. He’s one to keep an eye on, that goes without saying.
