Lacazette and Aubameyang see Arsenal past stubborn Burnley

Real Madrid loanee Dani Ceballos catches the eye as Gunners make it two wins from two

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates scoring Arsenal’s second goal with Alexandre Lacazette. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates scoring Arsenal’s second goal with Alexandre Lacazette. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters

Arsenal 2 Burnley 1

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hit the winning goal for the second time in a week as Arsenal beat Burnley to make it two victories from two in the Premier League.

The Gunners won 1-0 at Newcastle on the opening weekend courtesy of an Aubameyang strike and he proved the difference again as Burnley were beaten 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium.

Fit-again Alexandre Lacazette had given the hosts the lead, only for Ashley Barnes to snaffle away his third of the campaign to send the teams in level at the break.

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Aubameyang then struck the decisive goal in the 64th minute on an afternoon where David Luiz made his Gunners debut and loan signing Dani Ceballos starred on his first start.

Nicolas Pepe came off the bench for Arsenal against Burnley. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty
Nicolas Pepe came off the bench for Arsenal against Burnley. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty

Arsenal started the brighter of the two teams and Lacazette forced a smart reaction save out of Nick Pope with a looping header.

The France international would not be denied from the resulting corner, collecting Ceballos’ delivery and turning home through Pope’s legs despite losing his balance.

Burnley — unchanged from a 3-0 win over Southampton last weekend — looked dangerous whenever they had the chance to get a set-piece into the box.

And on one such occasion Bernd Leno was called on to make a point-blank save from Barnes, only for the forward to be flagged offside, before Matteo Guendouzi hooked the ball off the line following a goalmouth scramble.

Arsenal twice came close to a second as the half progressed, first Reiss Nelson broke in down the left before firing straight at Pope, the England goalkeeper then doing well to keep out a drive from Guendouzi soon after.

But it was Burnley who were level just before the interval as Barnes did well to collect a wayward Dwight McNeil shot inside the box and steer past Leno.

Nelson had the ball in the net for Arsenal but his effort on the stroke of half-time was ruled out for offside against Nacho Monreal, with a video assistant referee check confirming the decision was correct.

David Luiz battles with Chris Wood on his Arsenal debut. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters
David Luiz battles with Chris Wood on his Arsenal debut. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters

Unai Emery responded to the setback by introducing club-record signing Nicolas Pepe for the second half as Nelson made way for the Ivorian winger.

Aubameyang sent a curling effort inches wide and was then denied by Pope on the hour-mark after a fine pass from Pepe found the Gabon striker inside the box.

Ceballos was the next to be frustrated as Pope pushed his strike away — but Aubameyang made sure he tucked away his next chance, firing home from the edge of the box to put the hosts back in front.

Sead Kolasinac replaced Lacazette, recently back from an ankle injury, and was given a rousing reception following recent off-field events.

The full-back, along with team-mate Mesut Ozil, was targeted by carjackers last month and the pair were unavailable at Newcastle last weekend as police investigated further incidents.

Ozil was ill in the week so missed out on being involved here, while Kolasinac came on in a more attacking role, playing on the left wing for the final 19 minutes.

Fellow substitute Lucas Torreira came close to a third Arsenal goal late on, with Burnley failing to test Leno in the closing stages as they slipped to a 10th successive league defeat to the Gunners.