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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Simon Bird

Unai Emery makes Arsenal title admission following final day win at Burnley

Unai Emery admitted Arsenal are miles behind Manchester City and Liverpool - as striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang shared the Golden Boot.

The Arsenal boss reckons there are “positives” to take from their fifth placed finish – despite behind North London rivals Spurs and out of the Champions League qualifying places.

One of those is the lethal form of Aubameyang, whose second half double took his tally to 22 in the league, level with Mo Salah and Sadio Mane.

The striker has 31 for the season in all competitions and he's galvanised a club which still lacks consistency, and a defence that can challenge the best.

Arsenal leaked 51 league goals, their worst for a Premier League campaign, matching last season.

Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates (REUTERS)

Burnley 1-3 Arsenal: 5 talking points as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang shares Golden Boot

Emery said: “The win gave us 70 points, not enough for the top four, but we are progressing and being more consistent. We can not be 100% happy, but the players are prepared to improve and after get us closer to the teams in the top four.

“We finished a big distance from Liverpool and Manchester City, but closer to Spurs and Chelsea.

“We can take some positives. It was good. Like today, Aubameyang. He works for the team with his quality and he scores.”

Aubameyang grabbed the opener after a turgid first 50 minutes, seizing on poor defensive errors.

Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scores their second goal (REUTERS)

Arsenal player ratings from Burnley clash as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leads the way

Jack Cork played a sloppy ball back to a flat-footed Ben Mee, who failed to collect it under pressure from Aubameyang. The striker saw his chance, raced in on goal and finished well from 18 yards out.

Then he finished the game as a contest with a special volley. Nacho Monreal found Alex Iwobi in the box and he dinked a tasty cross to the back post. Aubameyang drifted off his defender and smashed home across goal.

He's got seven in his last four games and five this week. Without his ruthlessness where would Arsenal be?

Sub Eddie Nketiah scored the third with the last kick of the game – the ball squiring under keeper Tom Heaton.

Eddie Nketiah of Arsenal celebrates (Getty Images)

It was the 19-year-old's first Premier League goal. Unmarked six yards out and waiting for a pass, Aubameyang's shoulders slumped. A Boot-claiming 23 was not to be.

Burnley got one back at 2-1, with the home side recycling the ball after a great save from Bernd Leno, allowing sub Johann Berg Gudmundsson to cross and Ashley Barnes to flick in a header at the near post.

Arsenal have kept just two clean sheets in their last 29 away games, including just one this season at Watford in April.

Burnley have scored 45 goals this season, their best in the Premier League – but conceded 68 – 28 more than last season. This was also a record ten home defeats in a season.

Ashley Barnes heads home for Burnley (AFP/Getty Images)

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Aubameyang could have had more. He hit the post with a header in the first minute after Tom Heaton handled outside the area and Henrikh Mkhitaryan took the free kick. He also screwed a touch wide when unmarked eight yards out.

Reflecting on Burnley's season, Sean Dyche said: “From where we are now to where we were at Christmas... teams have disappeared from that. We have been super-strong mentally.

"Every season has been tough but we were in bad shape and we turned it around, me and the staff and the fans. I don't remember too much negativity being around. I have enjoyed the season in a strange way.

“I think we will be stronger next season. It is unlikely we will have as many injuries.”

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