Preview: Arsenal v Burnley | Match preview | News
For the final time this season, Emirates Stadium will be rocking as we aim to take an almighty step towards clinching the Premier League trophy when we host relegated Burnley on Monday night (8pm UK).
Victory over the Clarets would see us restore a five-point lead ahead of Manchester City’s trip to Bournemouth 24 hours later. That would leave our challengers with no room for error in their final two matches, although should we take six points from six over the next six days, then there’s nothing anyone can do to prevent us from our first championship since 2004.
A managerless Clarets side will pitch up in N5 hoping to spoil the party, however we have lost just one of our 19 previous Premier League meetings against the Lancastrians. The stakes have never been higher during that time, but Mikel Arteta will hope that the next time he steps foot in our packed-out home, it’ll be with two major trophies on display.
BURNLEY BOW OUT AGAIN
After winning the Championship following a 33-match unbeaten run, amassing 100 points and conceding just 16 times, this season has been a huge disappointment for Clarets supporters, who have seen their side suffer a third relegation in five seasons.
They have been marooned in 19th spot since November, and have won just one of their last 27 league games, picking up just one more point in that time than the 12 that came in the opening nine fixtures when things looked rosier for Scott Parker’s side, who was sacked at the start of the month once their demotion was rubber-stamped.
Mike Jackson once again put in temporary charge for the final few games, starting with a 3-1 loss at Leeds United before a battling 2-2 draw against Aston Villa last weekend. But their woeful away record has brought just two victories this term, while they’ve conceded three or more times in each of their last four away days.
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
Arteta: “It’s been extremely demanding from the beginning, but the team has coped with that in a really fantastic way. There is no other choice. We have the opportunity, and our supporters. It’s going to be on a Monday night, let’s take it in a really positive way. Hopefully, we do something incredible with our supporters.
“I think the fact that we’ve been at the top for a long time shows the level of consistency and how well the team has done. We’re still there in this league, it’s where we are now. More than ever, obviously, we want to finish in that position.”
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Jackson: “You look at a game like that and the importance of it to everyone in the competition, but from our point of view, you have to look at it as an opportunity. One – to be involved in a game like that; two – to be excited about that as a platform to go and perform.
“What we can do is make sure, like we did against Villa last week, that we’re still taking this competition really seriously. The outcome is already decided in everyone else’s eyes, but we’ve got to go there with some belief, have a go and thrive in that environment.”
TEAM NEWS
Two more full-backs joined Jurrien Timber on the sidelines after our win against West Ham United, with Ben White going to miss the remainder of the season with a knee ligament injury, while Riccardo Calafiori was also withdrawn against the Hammers.
The Italian has returned to training, and while Timber is still unavailable, it is hoped he could still play a part in our final matches. Mikel Merino is o ur other absentee with his long-term foot injury.
As for the Clarets, Hannibal Mejbri could be fit for the trip after being withdrawn early against Aston Villa last week as a precaution.
Connor Roberts is still working his way back from a season-long Achilles injury, while Jordan Beyer and Josh Cullen have also been out for lengthy periods with hamstring and knee issues respectively.
TALKING TACTICS
Adrian Clarke, writing in the official matchday programme: Jackson lined up in a pragmatic 5-4-1 at Leeds, which changed against Aston Villa, with Burnley causing plenty of problems in a more adventurous 4-2-3-1 shape. However a back five has been used in 19 of their 36 league games.
Burnley’s average possession is just 41.6%, the lowest in the division. Where possible, they like to move the ball out to quick wingers such as Jaidon Anthony (above) and Loum Tchaouana, and supporting full-backs in the shape of Kyle Walker or Brazilian Lucas Pires.
In a tough campaign, the Clarets’ finishing has been very good, and a shot conversion rate of 41.5% can only be bettered by three other clubs. Covering the fifth-most distance as a team, they are also incredibly industrious, especially inside the engine room where Florentino, Lesley Ugochukwu and Hannibal are always on the move.
However they have faced over 600 shots during 2025/26, and boast an expected goals against figure of 71.98 too – easily the highest tallies in the division. For a side with little possession, they will also be hugely disappointed to have conceded a joint-high seven goals from fast breaks, and considering they often have three centre-backs in place, it will also be a source of frustration to have let in 14 goals from headers.
FACTS AND STATS
The Clarets have never scored more than once in our 19 previous Premier League games, the most one side has faced another without netting twice in a match in the competition.
We have won all 10 of our Premier League games against sides already relegated that season, the best 100% record in the competition.
We are unbeaten in our last 44 Premier League home games against promoted sides since a 1-0 loss to Newcastle United in November 2010. We’ve won our last 15 by an aggregate score of 43-9.
We have won 16 Premier League games with a clean sheet this season, only doing so more in 2023/24 (17). Seven of those wins have been 1-0; we last won more by that scoreline in 1998/99 (9).
We have had 17 league goals this season either scored or assisted by a substitute, the most in the division.
Viktor Gyokeres has scored four goals in his last four home Premier League games. The Swede has also netted in all four of his matches against newly promoted sides this term (6 goals in total).
Kai Havertz has four goals in his last four Premier League games against Burnley.
Leandro Trossard has either scored (2) or assisted (2) in each of his last three games against the Clarets.
MATCH OFFICIALS
Paul Tierney has been given just his second Gunners game in the past two years, having last overseen us when we drew 2-2 at Wolves in February. While we haven’t been acquainted with him as often recently, we are unbeaten in the last seven fixtures he has refereed, dating back to January 2023.
He is also an unfamiliar face to the Clarets, with their 3-0 loss at Sunderland in February the only time the Wigan-based official has taken charge of one of their games since Boxing Day 2023. Burnley haven’t won any of their last seven under his watch. Tierney has refereed 11 times in the top-flight this term, dishing out 36 yellows, two red cards and a single penalty.
Referee: Paul Tierney
Assistants: Richard West, Mark Scholes
Fourth official: Rob Jones
OUR: James Bell
Assistant VAR: Tim Wood
BURNLEY’S RECENT VISITS
You have to go back to November 2023 for the last time the Clarets were in N5, when they were beaten 3-1 in an eventual game. Leandro Trossard bravely netted the 1,000th goal we’d scored at Emirates Stadium, and after Josh Brownhill equalised, goals from William Saliba and Oleksandr Zinchenko saw us take the points despite Fabio Vieira’s red card.
Having lost on nine consecutive visits in all competitions between 1975 and 2019, Burnley had been unbeaten on their previous two visits before then, consisting of a goalless draw in January 2022 and a 1-0 success thanks to a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang own goal in October 2020.
However, we have only lost our final home league game in one of the last 28 seasons and are unbeaten in 14 since a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa in 2010/11. Burnley, meanwhile, have won their final away game in just two of their nine Premier League campaigns.
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LIVE COVERAGE
Tune into Arsenal.com and The Arsenal app (download now on iOS/Android) from an hour before kick-off when Nicole Holliday and Jeremie Aliadiere will be Live from N5 for the final time in the Premier League this season!
Some big-name guests including comedian Jack Whitehall and rapper 21 Savage will stop by the studio to give their take on an incredible season so far, and you’ll receive a little glimpse of some of exclusive content coming on our new official app.
Our final Hero of the Week will be crowned and there’s one last chance to induct a moment into the Live from N5 Hall of Fame, before live match commentary comes from Dan Roebuck and Adrian Clarke – but stay tuned at full-time as you can watch full coverage of the players’ post-match lap of appreciation.
You can also find out which broadcaster is showing the action livewherever you are in the world.
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How to watch Arsenal v Burnley on TV
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