Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side host relegated Burnley at the Emirates Stadium on Monday night, knowing that a victory can push them ever closer to an elusive Premier League title.
The Gunners currently sit two points ahead of FA Cup winners Manchester City at the top of the table. A win against the Clarets, coupled with a Manchester City loss or draw at Bournemouth on Tuesday, will officially crown Arsenal as Premier League champions.
Arteta’s men enter the clash on the back of a hard-fought 1-0 victory over West Ham United at the London Stadium, extending their current winning streak to three matches.
Conversely, Burnley’s fate is already sealed. A 2-2 draw against Aston Villa at Turf Moor last time out extended their winless run to 10 matches, leaving them in 19th place with just 21 points from 36 games. Having scored 37 goals and conceded 72 across a difficult campaign, Scott Parker’s side are playing strictly for pride.
Arteta said: “We know exactly what we have to do. The demands we put on ourselves are the highest possible. We don’t look at what others are doing; our only focus is making sure we perform in front of our people on Monday night.”
“In this league, there is no such thing as an easy game, regardless of what the table says. If you drop your intensity for one second, you get punished. We need the Emirates bouncing from the first minute.”
Here is everything you need to know.
Team news for Arsenal v Burnley
Arteta has a largely fully-fit squad to choose from as he prepares for the final home match of the domestic season. Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres, who has 14 goals this season (the fifth highest in the league), will lead the line. Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice will anchor the midfield, while the imperious centre-back pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães will look to shut out the visitors.
However, Ben White is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
Parker will lean heavily on his main attacking threats, Zian Flemming and Jaidon Anthony, who have scored 10 and eight times this season, respectively. Goalkeeper Martin Dubravka will likely face a busy evening behind a backline tasked with stopping the league leaders.
