LONDON: Arsenal’s Premier League troubles intensified as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at home by lowly Burnley last night with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scoring an own goal after Granit Xhaka was sent off.
The Gunners, who have now lost four straight home games for the first time since 1959, are in 15th place in the standings with 13 points while Burnley climb out of the bottom three moving up to 17th place on nine points after their first away win of the season.
The pressure will now increase on Spanish coach Mikel Arteta with Arsenal having made their worst start to a season in 39 years with their first home defeat by Burnley since 1974.
Mikel Arteta’s side were enjoying a spell of strong pressure after the interval, testing Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope, when Xhaka was sent off after a VAR review spotted him grabbing Burnley’s Ashley Westwood by the throat.
The London side have received six Premier League red cards since Arteta took over Arsenal in December 2019, double that of any other side in that time.
Westwood then created the decisive goal in the 73rd minute when his dangerous in-swinging corner was headed into his own goal by Aubameyang as he rose to challenge Josh Brownhill at the near post.
Arsenal created plenty of pressure in the latter stages but Sean Dyche’s team held firm helped by the excellent goalkeeping of Nick Pope.
Pope had kept Burnley on level terms before the break with a good save with his feet from Alexandre Lacazette in the 28th minute and a reaction save from a Bukayo Saka snap-shot after the interval.
Burnley striker Chris Wood had missed an early chance when he was found unmarked in the box by Robbie Brady but his head failed to find the target.
There were 2,000 supporters at the Emirates Stadium but some left before the end while one fan was pictured with his face mask pulled up over his eyes.
Earlier, a below-par Liverpool needed a late Mohamed Salah penalty to salvage a point in a 1-1 draw at Fulham – squandering the chance to return to the top.
Fulham led through Bobby Decordova-Reid’s superb 25th-minute effort and Liverpool needed returning keeper Alisson Becker and some luck to avoid being further behind at the break.
Whatever manager Juergen Klopp said to his champions at halftime had the desired effect as Liverpool were more like their old selves in the second half.
There was still little of the attacking quality which propelled them to the title last season, however, and required Salah’s 79th-minute penalty, awarded for a harsh handball against Aboubakar Kamara, to earn a point.
Liverpool joined leaders Tottenham on 25 points from 12 games after Jose Mourinho’s side also drew 1-1 at Crystal Palace in an earlier kickoff. Fulham stay fourth from bottom with eight points but offered a display to hearten the 2,000 fans who were allowed to watch at Craven Cottage.
James Maddison capped a fine individual performance with two goals to help Leicester City beat Brighton & Hove Albion 3-0 at home.
Jamie Vardy added another as Leicester moved up to third on 24 points from 12 matches, one behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur and second-placed champions Liverpool, while Brighton stayed 16th on 10 points from 12 games.
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Maddison fired Brighton into a 27th-minute lead when he steered a low shot into the bottom corner from inside the penalty area as he picked up a loose ball after the visitors failed to clear the danger.
Vardy, who hit the post barely a minute before Maddison’s opener, doubled the home side’s lead with a typical predatory finish from close range after James Justin delivered an inch-perfect low cross from the right.
Maddison made it 3-0 with an individual goal of the highest quality in the 44th minute, teeing himself up with some neat footwork before he curled a delightful shot past keeper Mathew Ryan from 16 metres.
