Arsenal’s season went from poor to dreadful as captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored an own-goal and the Gunners were reduced to 10 men in a 1-0 loss to Burnley in the Premier League.
Aubameyang had been looking to end his goal drought, but at the other end of the field at Emirates Stadium on Sunday. But the striker headed the ball into his own net while defending a Burnley corner in the 73rd minute.
Boos rang out from the home crowd with 2,000 fans allowed under coronavirus restrictions.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is under increasing pressure with his team 15th in the 20-team division with 13 points from 12 games — four points more than Burnley which climbed out of the relegation zone.
Arsenal was already down a man after Granit Xhaka was sent off for violent conduct in the 58th after a VAR check and a review by the referee on the sidelines. Xhaka had grabbed Ashley Westwood by the throat and pushed him to the ground after a challenge on another player.
The Gunners were lucky not to be down to nine men after VAR deemed that Mohamed Elneny wasn’t guilty of violent conduct just before the corner was taken that led to the goal. Replays showed Elneny appearing to push defender James Tarkowski in the face. He ended up with a yellow card instead.
The Gunners have now lost four consecutive home league games.