Saliba’s goal helps Arsenal beat Burnley 3-1 to climb into 2nd place in Premier League
LONDON (AP) — William Saliba scored his first goal of the season as Arsenal climbed into second place in the Premier League with a 3-1 home win over Burnley on Saturday despite finishing the game with 10 men.
Saliba headed home a corner to restore Arsenal’s lead in the 57th minute, shortly after Josh Brownhill had equalized against the run of play at the Emirates.
In a game that largely took place inside the Burnley half, Leandro Trossard opened the scoring just before the halftime break and Oleksandr Zinchenko made the game safe with a leaping volley in the 74th.
That two-goal cushion proved comforting when substitute Fabio Vieira was sent off in the 83rd with a studs-up challenge on Brownhill.
Arsenal bounced back from its first league loss of the season at Newcastle last weekend to move above Tottenham, which lost 2-1 at Wolverhampton earlier Saturday. The Gunners are level on 27 points with leader Manchester City, which visits Chelsea on Sunday.
Arsenal went ahead just before the halftime break when Zinchenko sent in a cross toward Bukayo Saka, who headed the ball back toward the far post where Trossard was on hand to nod home from less than a yard out.
Trossard then landed heavily on his shoulder and forearm after colliding with goalkeeper James Trafford, and needed lengthy treatment on the field but was able to continue.
Arsenal continued to boss proceedings in the second half but Burnley equalized in the 54th when Luca Koleosha broke into the area and went past Takehiro Tomiyasu before squaring the ball. It was deflected out into the path of Brownhill, whose shot also took a deflection on its way past David Raya in the Arsenal goal.
The hosts responded almost immediately, as Gabriel Martinelli made a quick raid down the right flank shortly after the restart and forced a decent save from Trafford at the near post. From the resulting corner, Saliba rose high to head home from a few yards out. It was the center back’s first Premier League goal in more than a year.
The third also came from a corner, from which Burnley defender Dara O’Shea nearly scored an own-goal by heading against the crossbar. The ball was then headed out into the path of Zinchenko, who leapt up in the air and volleyed home with his left foot.
Vieira’s sending off gave Burnley a glimmer of hope but the visitors weren’t able to test Raya despite more than 10 minutes of added time.
The loss leaves Vincent Kompany’s team rooted in 19th place with just four points from 12 games.
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