Arsenal 0-0 Burnley: 5 talking points as Gunners drop points at home

Having been knocked out of the Carabo Cup by Premier League rivals Liverpool, Arsenal were hoping to return to winning ways against Burnley, who are at the bottom of the league table. A win would bring them up to fourth, ahead of Manchester United on goal difference.

The Gunners started the game brightly, with Alexandre Lacazette coming close to breaking the deadlock in the 17th minute. As time passed, they ran out of ideas and despite all the dominance in possession, Mikel Arteta's side failed to break down the Clarets.

The visitors managed just one shot on target throughout the full 90 minutes and Sean Dyche would be more than happy that his team managed to get away with a much-needed point.

The goalless draw leaves the Londoners in sixth place before Chelsea take on Tottenham and Burnley remain rooted in 20th with 12 points from 18 matches. Here are five talking points from the game at the Emirates Stadium.

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#5 Ashley Westwood's yellow puzzles Arsenal fans

Ashley Westwood should have been sent off during the first half

From stomping on Kieran Tierney's shin to shoving an elbow in the face of Gabriel Magalhaes, Westwood could have easily been sent off either for a serious foul on the first challenge or received a second yellow for the latter.

Yet he remained on the pitch and his presence clearly left the Arsenal faithful questioning whether the referee and video assistant referee were doing their jobs.

This is not the first time on-field decisions have gone against the Gunners. Meanwhile, Burnley are on an incredible run of 111 Premier League games without having a player sent off.

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#4 Alexandre Lacazette's wastefulness costs Arsenal

Alexandre Lacazette missed a handful for chances

Leading the Arsenal frontline, Lacazette and his side managed 20 shots, of which only five were on target. The Frenchman missed several golden opportunities in both halves and his lack of accuracy in front of goal cost the Gunners a chance to get into the top four.

Lacazette, whose contract comes to an end this summer, last scored for the club on Boxing Day against Norwich City. Since then, the 30-year-old has failed to get onto the scoresheet against Manchester City, Liverpool and now Burnley.

With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's future in doubt and Eddie Nketiah also possibly on the way out, the North Londoners are in dire need of signing a reliable striker to bolster their attacking prowess.

#3 Burnley continue their fight for survival in the Premier League

Burnley mustered five shots against Arsenal

The draw against Arsenal may serve as the turning point in Burnley's Premier League campaign.

Recording just one win in their last 18 matches, the Clarets have a long way to go if they are to survive the relegation battle against Watford and Newcastle United.

Thus far, they have struggled to score this season and are the second lowest goalscoring team behind Norwich City. Furthermore, with the departure of Chris Wood just days ago, Dyche's side need to bring in a replacement urgently.

In the coming weeks, Burnley will face tough tests against the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea, and none of them will be as merciful and toothless as the Gunners.

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#2 Arsenal need to bolster their squad

Arsenal's lack of squad depth is starting to show

With Nicolas Pepe unavailable due to AFCON, Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka suspended, and several other players in the treatment room, the Gunners' squad suddenly appear to be reduced to bare bones.

As many as five Hale End academy players were named on the bench against Burnley. If Arteta's side were to become serious contenders for a top four position in the Premier League, it's time for them to invest.

The North London club are rumored to be interested in Arthur from Juventus as well as Fiorentina's Dusan Vlahovic. However, with barely a week left until the end of the January transfer window, there doesn't seem to be much progress on these transfers.

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#1 Arsenal's top four ambitions hit a slump

Arsenal are winless in their last five games across all competitions

Without a win in 2022, it's time for the Gunners to pull up their socks and buck up.

Their arch rivals Tottenham have overtaken them in the Premier League table standings and have a game in hand. Meanwhile, Manchester United have won their last two games and moved up to fourth.

As the competition stiffens, Arteta's side appear to be losing some steam and the conviction they had in the first half of the season seems to have disappeared.

The North London club only have two games left in the whole of February and to keep their hopes of playing European football next season alive, they cannot risk dropping even more points.