Opposition Dangerman: Burnley (H)
Following the Gunners’ 1-0 away victory in Newcastle, the Premier League will be making its return to the Emirates on Saturday when Arsenal face an in-form Burnley side.
The Clarets are coming off the back of an impressive 3-0 win against Southampton during the first weekend of the 2019/20 Premier League season.
Ashley Barnes was an important figure in this victory, as he contributed with two goals, leading them to three points and providing a dream start.
As well as scoring twice in the win against the Saints, Barnes also had a number of stats that Arsenal should be aware of when having to face the Austrian striker on Saturday.
75% of his shots in the first game of the season managed to hit the target (3/4). Arsenal will need to be cautious, as he is able to take his chances when they come and is a clinical finisher, meaning the Gunners will not be able to allow him to have a clear chance on goal as the striker will, most likely, put the ball into the back of the net.
As well as his shots on goal against Southampton, Ashley Barnes also won the most duels out of anyone else on the pitch (18). This could provide problems for Arsenal as Barnes makes himself a nuisance to defenders on the ground and in the air because of his aerial presence and strength. Even though Unai Emery’s side managed to keep a clean sheet in their last game, we still saw at times that the defence struggled against a physical striker, which is reminiscent of last season.
After one game, Barnes is seen in the scoring charts alongside the league’s elite such as Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane, and if he is able to carry his form to the trip to North London, then Arsenal could face a difficult task in being able to keep him from adding another to his tally for the season.
Barnes is also well-accustomed to scoring against Arsenal, as in his seven career appearances against the Gunners, he has managed to score three goals.
He has a reputation for being able to hold up the ball well and bringing teammates into the game for him to get on the end of a cross or a splitting pass through the defence. The further reputation that follows Barnes is that he can have a short fuse and is not afraid to back down if something breaks out on the pitch, meaning Arsenal will have to remain composed throughout the 90 minutes as he is able to get under defenders’ skin.
Pace is not an area of his game that Barnes thrives in, so if Arsenal were to play a high defensive line, then he may struggle to find a way into the game to help his side.
It will be interesting to see if Barnes is able to carry over his good form from the first game of the season and see if he can exploit any errors in the Arsenal defence at the Emirates. Whichever team comes out on top on Saturday would have had a dream start to the campaign, acquiring six points from a possible six.