Arsenal will aim to bid to end a dismal couple of weeks by securing victory over bottom club Burnley at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Can the Gunners get their season back on track for our soccer picks?
Arsenal F.C. vs. Burnley F.C.
Sunday, January 23, 2022 – 09:00 AM EST at Emirates Stadium
Mikel Arteta’s men are not in Europe this season and they trail Premier League leader Manchester City by 20 points, so it will be another trophyless season for the club.
The only way to salvage something from a disappointing campaign would be to finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League once more. That would give Arteta the financial firepower needed to replace underperforming members of his squad.
West Ham is currently fourth, two points above Arsenal, but the Gunners have two games in hand. They trail Tottenham by one point, having played one extra game than Spurs. They are also level on points with Manchester United, but with a game in hand. It is therefore very congested in that part of the Premier League table.
Arsenal has not played a Premier League game since a very unfortunate 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on New Year’s Day. It won its previous four league matches, and Arteta will be desperate to see his team recapture that form.
Burnley Lacks Firepower
Burnley sits bottom of the Premier League table, with just 11 points from 17 games this season. The Clarets have only secured one win, along with eight draws and eight defeats. They have several games in hand on the teams above them, but their prospects of survival look bleak.
Burnley has also gone a few weeks without playing a Premier League game. It lost 3-1 to Manchester United on December 30, followed swiftly by a 3-1 defeat to Leeds on January 2. Since then, its only outing was a 2-1 defeat to Championship team Huddersfield in the FA Cup a fortnight ago.
The players will be well-rested if perhaps a little rusty, but the squad will also be seriously depleted. Chris Wood, who was Burnley’s top scorer last season, left for relegation rival Newcastle this month after the Magpies activated his release clause.
Fellow striker Ashley Barnes is out injured, while forward Maxwel Cornet – Burnley’s top scorer this season – is at the Africa Cup of Nations. Matej Vydra is an injury doubt, so Jay Rodriguez could be Burnley’s only available forward, and he is not exactly an out-and-out striker.
That lack of firepower could hurt Burnley’s chances of success in this game. The Clarets lost 1-0 at home to Arsenal earlier this season, and they are likely to lose again on the road.
Arsenal Missing Midfield Duo
Arteta will rue his players’ lack of discipline, as both starting midfielders will be suspended for this game. Granit Xhaka was shown a straight red card in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final against Liverpool, and Thomas Partey managed to get sent off by receiving two yellow cards in a 15-minute cameo appearance during Thursday’s second leg clash.
Yet despite missing those players, Arsenal should still find a way to get the job done in this game. Burnley is winless on the road, while the Gunners have seven wins from 10 home games.
EPL Pick: Arsenal -1.25 Asian handicap (-120) with DraftKings
EPL Pick: Gabriel Martinelli to score (+155) with FanDuel
EPL Pick: Arsenal win to nil (+105) with PointsBet
