Arsenal vs Burnley preview

Team news, stats and prediction ahead of Arsenal vs Burnley in the Premier League.

Team news

Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac are set to return to the Arsenal fold, with boss Unai Emery declaring them "100 per cent" mentally ready after security incidents saw them left out of the opening-weekend win at Newcastle.

New arrivals David Luiz, Dani Ceballos and Nicolas Pepe will be keen to force their way into the starting line-up, although Granit Xhaka may miss out due to bruising on his back and leg.

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Left-back Charlie Taylor could return to the match-day squad for Burnley but Danny Drinkwater is unlikely to be considered just yet.

An injury at the start of pre-season left Taylor playing catch-up, and new boy Erik Pieters seized his opportunity in last weekend's win over Southampton, while Burnley have arranged two reserve matches next week with the aim of giving Chelsea loanee Drinkwater some game time.

Winger Robbie Brady (ribs) and midfielder Steven Defour (calf) remain sidelined.

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How to watch

Follow the action with our dedicated live blog. Highlights of the game will be published at 5.15pm on the Sky Sports website and app plus the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel.

Opta stats

• Arsenal have won their last 10 matches against Burnley in all competitions, a run stretching back to March 2010.
• Burnley have won just one of their last 19 away games against Arsenal in all competitions, winning 1-0 at Highbury in the top-flight in September 1974 (W1 D3 L15).
• In the Premier League, Arsenal have won their last nine games against Burnley - they have only had longer runs against Man City (11 between 1994 and 2004) and Newcastle United (10 between 2012 and 2017).
• At the Emirates, Arsenal have won all seven games against Burnley, scoring 21 goals and conceding just four; the only team the Gunners have faced more often at home since 2006-07 and won each game against is Stoke City (10 wins in 10 games).
• Arsenal are looking to kick-off a Premier League campaign with two consecutive victories for the first time since 2009-10, when they beat Everton and Portsmouth.
• Burnley have never won both of their opening two matches to a Premier League season before, last doing so in the top-flight in 1973-74 and in any division in the 2006-07 Championship.
• Burnley boss Sean Dyche has lost all eight of his Premier League matches against Arsenal - the only manager with a worse 100% losing ratio against an opponent is Gary Megson against Liverpool, who lost all nine of his games against the Reds.
• Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored a brace in all three of his Premier League games against Burnley - only two players have ever scored two or more in four consecutive games against an opponent; Michael Owen vs Newcastle United between 1998 and 2001 and Harry Kane vs Everton between 2017 and 2018.

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Charlie's prediction

I am extremely happy with Arsenal's start to the season and the way the market has gone. We have to wait on a couple of players getting fit, but I genuinely do think that Arsenal are going to be a tremendously exciting team going forward this year. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is up and running, while Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe will add to this.

I think what Unai Emery has now after a year is very promising. People can debate whether you spend £300m or £1m, whatever it may be, but you can improve the team with coaching and create the right togetherness. He has identified that they are weak at the back, and that is going to take time so he will try to improve that. To counteract that he needs a plan B and that is to score as many goals as they can.

He was the PSG manager with some explosive stars. Emery couldn't control it and neither could the players, and PSG may win titles but they do not threaten anywhere else. Is the project working there? It's not. He has a project at Arsenal that he trusts and believes he can go somewhere. Burnley had a great weekend, there is no doubt about that. They have to start well at the Emirates and will give it a good go, but Arsenal will get the win.

CHARLIE PREDICTS: 4-1 (18/1 with Sky Bet)

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Fantasy Football tip

It is hard to look past Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.7m), who is on the hunt for his second in as many games. Nicolas Pepe (£9.8m) and Alexandre Lacazette (£11.1m) could make their first start of the season and goals could be plentiful at the Emirates on Saturday. Play here.

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