Arsenal suffered an exit from the Carabao Cup in midweek so they will be eager to get back to winning ways when they face Burnley in the Premier League on Sunday.
The Gunners have been in very good form in the league, losing just one out of their previous five outings and if they can pick up all three points on Sunday then they have the chance to enter the top-four.
If Chelsea beat Spurs on Sunday and at the same time if Arsenal can win vs Burnley then they will occupy the final Champions League spot. At this point, Manchester United are fourth on the table and by beating Burnley, Arsenal can occupy that spot thanks to their superior goal difference.
The North London side are undefeated in 16 of their last 17 matches against Burnley in all competitions but Mikel Arteta has a host of players missing so he will have to use a lot of the players who played on Thursday. Burnley are languishing at the bottom of the table so we don’t expect too much fight from them but given that Arsenal have a genuine shot at the top-four, the pressure might just get on the nerves of Arteta’s boys.
Arsenal team news vs Burnley:
Calum Chambers is out with a neck injury while Cedric is out with a groin injury which means the backline will remain the same from the Liverpool game. Thankfully, Tomiyasu has returned from injury so he will start at right-back.
⏳ Matchday loading…
■■■■■■■■□□□🔜 #ARSBUR pic.twitter.com/Q5jJbXhng0
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 22, 2022
Thomas Partey returned from AFCON just in time to play against Liverpool but the midfielder picked up a red card in the 74th minute of that game meaning he is suspended on Sunday. Granit Xhaka is also suspended which means Mikel Arteta is once again going to opt for a 4-1-4-1 formation with Lokonga playing as a single pivot.
The other central midfielder Elneny is also out playing for his national side but he is yet to come back.
With so many injuries and suspensions, Arsenal have a very limited bench strength so we don’t think the manager can afford to make any major substitutions in the attacking department as well.
Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe will play in the attacking midfielder’s role while Gabriel Martinelli will operate on the left flank.
Nicolas Pepe and Aubameyang are also out for the AFCON so Bukayo Saka and Lacazette will also get starting roles.
Who all are missing for Arsenal?
Aubameyang – AFCON – Ruled Out.
Nicolas Pepe – AFCON – Ruled Out.
Elneny – AFCON – Ruled Out.
Thomas Partey – Suspended – Ruled Out.
Granit Xhaka – Suspended – Ruled Out.
Leno – Lower Back Injury – Late Fitness Test.
Cedric – Groin Injury – Late Fitness Test.
Calum Chambers – Neck Injury – Late Fitness Test.
Arsenal predicted line up vs Burnley:
Predicted Starting Line up(4-1-4-1): Ramsdale; White, Gabriel, Kieran Tierney, Tomiyasu; Lokonga; Martinelli, Bukayo Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe; Lacazette.
Stats via Fotmob
