Match Day Thread Burnley vs Arsenal - Matchday Thread

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Venue: Turf Moor
Date: Saturday 1st November 2025
KO time: 15:00 GMT

Overall Record

Wins: 57
Losses: 34
Draws: 24

Last six meetings

Burnley 0-5 Arsenal
Arsenal 3-1 Burnley
Arsenal 0-0 Burnley
Burnley 0-1 Arsenal
Burnley 1-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 0-1 Burnley

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Every game is massive now - two away games in a row we really need to take advantage of.

 

Yep. Well, technically three if you want to include the CL, as Slavia Prague is away also.

Based on Arteta's presser earlier, Saliba is 50-50 to make it for this and Martinelli is ruled out (though it didn't sound like a medium/long-term issue so that's good).

Also, Madueke, Odegaard and Havertz have a strong possibility of being back for the NLD after the international break. That can only be good news. The more players we have available for the congested fixture list coming up, the better.

Just need to navigate the next 3 games without them - which we definitely have the quality to do.

 

Two PL games are the key.
The Slavia Prague game I would play a similar team to the one that started against Brighton in the cup.

Got to say, I am very impressed with Mosquera.
He's not infallible - no player is - but I feel confident with him at the back, so Saliba being out is far less of an issue than it has been in previous seasons.

 

I don't think that's likely with Arteta. He'll want to secure qualification to the top-8 as soon as possible. If we win in Prague, that'll be 4/4 wins from the CL league table phase and it gives us some wiggle room against Bayern (H) or Inter (A) when we play them. So I think there's next to no chance of us playing a team identical to the Carabao Cup match for a CL fixture.

 

Anyone that is even slightly a concern should be rested, beginning of November now, December will be upon us in a flash. With all the games to be played we need fit squad of players.

 

Do you mean for the Burnley game or the Prague game or both?
Personally I think players are coddled too much these days.
They cry off injured when they are not injured and I can't stand the over reaction to every tackle. Not just Arsenal, but all teams.

No footballer ever needs a rest, IMO. The body is easily able to take 180 minutes of football a week.
People forget that training is harder - hours and hours per week and that can be scaled as required for each player.
Resting and rotation has become just a part of modern football driven by nothing more than a fad - like the circus of transfers.
Nobody ever talked about it 20 years ago and no, the game is not faster or more physical now. If anything, it's slower and less physical.

The reason I would like to see the same team as Brighton against Prague is because I want players to get a chance to play - not for resting the first team.

As for injuries, I would give players a chance with one or two injuries and after that, if they persist, I would sell them.
One of the reasons I was not fussed about Emile being sold, despite loving him as a player.
They don't have the physical capability to play high level sport.

My two favourite players - Saka and Havertz - are nearing the point for me that I wouldn't mind them being sold because of the fragility. Odegaard has already passed it.

 

Sorry Jay, but I just can't agree with this narrative whatsoever.

Data from UEFA Elite Club Study & Premier League sport science shows:

• Distance at high-intensity (>19.8 km/h) has more than doubled since early 2000s
  
  
• Sprinting volume has tripled
  
  
• Average top-flight player performs ~1,300+ high-intensity actions per match

Fatigue in elite sport is neuromuscular, cardiovascular, and cognitive — not just “legs are tired.” And rotation isn't some woke nonsense, it's necessary injury prevention for our players. All the top clubs do it.

Saying 'training is harder' also isn't accurate because clubs intentionally lower training loads during intense fixture scheduling. Games are what drive higher heart rate, sprinting, concentration, mechanical load etc. Games/matchday are the peak demand, not training.

Sport science actually shows the game today is faster, more transitional, more pressing, more sprints per minute and less rest time in possession.

Saying Saka and Havertz are nearing the point of you wanting to sell them is wild because, the former is our best player, and the latter was clearly overburdened with minutes. So you need to factor in load management, reinjury, accumulated fatigue and fixture congestion.

I can give you academic references and sport scientists supporting what I'm saying if you'd like Jay, but a lot of what you've written here just simply isn't true.

 

Probably the strongest team we could field right now:

 

1-0! Gyokeres!

From another (yes, you guessed it) set-piece

Rice whips in another set piece, both sets of players scramble for the ball and it bounces to Gyokeres, who is there to nod home.

 

Seeing the replay, it looks like Gabriel gets the knock down for Gyokeres to tap it home.

Gabriel is such a cheat code from set plays, honestly. His goal and assist count from them by the end of the season could be outrageous.

 

Again - EXACTLY the kind of goal I want from Gyokeres.
Well done son!

 

Should be 2 up.
Thats a good chance for Saka.

 

Ahh, Saka should have scored. He was through on goal 1 on 1 and the goalkeeper saved it.

 

Hope that doesn't come back to bite us.
Last 10 mins we are dominating and could kill this game if we take chances.

 

If we went 2-0 up in 25 minutes, I'd go as far to say the game would have been over.

Shame he didn't score, but I'd like to think we're going to create other opportunities to score from.

 

Fingers crossed, mate.
I would love a comfortable last 30!

 

FFS - how did that not go in!

 

2-0 Rice
We're cooking

 

2-0! Rice!

Good header