End of season games tend to go one of two ways.

They can be drab non-events as sides go through the motions with one eye on the summer.

Or they can be full-blooded and free-flowing as teams with little to play for slug it out.

Thankfully for those at Turf Moor this one turned out to be the latter.

After an action-packed first period had somehow ended goalless, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s double ultimately won it for Arsenal in the second, Ashley Barnes pulling a goal back for Burnley before Eddie Nketiah scored with the last kick of the game.

There was no shortage of chances, full-blooded challenges and the rest as Sean Dyche’s side finished 15th in the Premier League.

The game got off to a frantic start and set the tone for the afternoon.   

Tom Heaton was in trouble early on, racing to the edge of his area to challenge Joe Willock and handling just outside his box which resulted in a booking from referee Mike Dean.

The danger wasn’t averted though with Henrick Mkhitaryan’s free-kick finding Aubameyang who headed against the post.

The Gabon striker went close again shortly after, a well-struck volley being beaten away by Heaton after Barnes had sent a header not far wide at the other end.

The Clarets striker, as ever was in the thick of the action and was the next to go close but after Matt Lowton’s long ball into the box broke for him Barnes’ shot was into the ground allowing Leno to beat it away.

Things then calmed down to a degree but any fears that this would turn into predictable end of season fare were soon dispelled.

Midway through the opening period James Tarkowski met Dwight McNeil’s corner at the back post with his header held by Leno. The German looked for a quick outball and clattered into Barnes, the Burnley man being booked for a perceived obstruction.

It was then the home side’s turn to hit the woodwork, Arsenal failing to deal with a long ball with Chris Wood outmuscling Konstantinos Mavropanos and crashing a left-foot shot off the post.

The Clarets kept coming with Lowton nearly the unlikely opening scorer just after the half hour.

Barnes broke down the right and his cross was behind Wood with Jack Cork crashing into a challenge before the ball broke to Lowton who rounded the stranded Leno but saw a goal-bound shot blocked by Shkodran Mustafi, denying a certain goal.

Tarkowski then again rose highest at a McNeil corner, this header going wide before Arsenal ended the half by going close through Willock, his shot on the turn from the edge of the area only just wide.

It didn’t take long for the breakthrough to come in the second period and Burnley were the architects of their own downfall.

Cork’s loose pass was out of the reach of Ben Mee and Aubameyang pounced and 40 yards from goal sprinted clear before beating Heaton one-on-one for his 30th goal in all competitions this season.

Burnley were nearly gifted a way back into the game but after Leno spooned a clearance into the air with Barnes lurking, the ‘keeper recovered well to spare his blushes.

It proved to be a crucial moment as Arsenal doubled their advantage on 63 minutes.

Alex Iwobi stood the ball up to the back post for Aubameyang to hammer home a volley that left Heaton with no chance.

Just as it looked like the Clarets’ season might drift to a conclusion they hit back just two minutes later.

Moments after coming on the pitch Johann Berg Gudmondsson saw a shot saved but the ball was worked again to the Icelander whose cross was flicked home by Barnes to take him ahead of Chris Wood on 12 goals for the season.

Arsenal’s star man Aubameyang then missed a glorious chance to settle it 15 minutes from time, somehow not sealing his hat-trick as he diverted Mkhitaryan’s cross wide from a few yards out.

The closest the Clarets came to a leveller was substitute Peter Crouch seeing an effort blocked by his own man Tarkowski with Nketiah adding some late gloss to the scoreline with a shot that deflected in off Heaton.