For large part of Sunday afternoon, Arsenal looked short of ideas.
While Burnley have a reputation for keeping things tight, part of their struggles this season have been down to defensive frailty. That, however, was rarely exploited by a relatively blunt home side, who failed to create much to truly test Nick Pope.
But for a brief ten-minute or so period towards the end of the second-half during which Emile Smith Rowe teed up Alexandre Lacazette for a glorious chance after drawing a wonderful save from the Burnley stopper, Mikel Arteta’s lack of a convincing option up front was painstakingly obvious.
Build-up play, as ever, did not prove to be a problem for the home side but the final thrust simply wasn’t there. With the January transfer window still open, surely the club will look to ramp up attempts to bring a new forward in.
Frankly, their hopes of finally making a return to the Champions League rely on it.
