BURNLEY have surely never been any closer to ending their long wait for a win against Arsenal.

When the ball dropped to Jay Rodriguez 10 minutes from time it looked for all the world that a first league victory since 1974 was heading the way of the Clarets.

But the striker saw his side’s golden chance hit the underside of the crossbar and bounce down on the line, a check of referee Chris Kavanagh’s watch confirming the horrible reality that the ball had not crossed the line.

Sean Dyche’s side will rue other missed chances on the day, dominating either side of the break at Turf Moor.

While they left the pitch with plenty of ‘what ifs?’ they did however at least end a run of 11 straight defeats against the Gunners in all competitions and back up the wins over Leicester City and Manchester United with another strong performance.

It could have been so much more but it didn’t look that way in the early stages, the visitors nearly going ahead just 75 seconds in.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang stood up the cross for Alexandre Lacazette but having pulled away from his marker he couldn’t direct a free header goalwards.

The Clarets were on a mission to unsettle the Gunners but Mikel Arteta’s side were finding their way around the high press in a strong start and had another glorious chance with 13 minutes on the clock.

Aubameyang was played onside by Charlie Taylor as he took David Luiz’s ball over the top but one-on-one with Nick Pope he shanked his shot wide of the mark.

Having survived a couple of real scares, the Clarets started to get in among Arsenal and finished the opening period in the ascendancy - the visitors rattled.

Rodriguez nearly scored with a sweet strike 20 minutes in but found Bernd Leno equal to his low drive from 25 yards.

Dwight McNeil also tried his luck from range but his effort after a driving run was always rising.

A fleeting Gunners attack in the closing stages saw Aubameyang beat the offside trap again but Pope raced off his line and made himself big to keep out the striker’s lobbed effort.

The hosts kept coming and finished the half with another close call, McNeil’s low cross across the edge of the area reaching Jeff Hendrick with the Irishman’s effort not far wide of the angle of post and crossbar.

After what was at times a frantic first period, the Clarets brought a measure of control to things at the start of the second half.

They pinned Arsenal back without testing Leno immediately after the interval, James Tarkowski heading Ashley Westwood’s free-kick wide in an effort that probably would have been chalked off by VAR.

But the hosts kept coming, the pressure relentless.

Another Westwood set-piece was headed wide by Rodriguez at the near post when a flick would have most likely opened the scoring.

Hendrick then had an even better chance but planted a header from a McNeil centre the wrong side of the post.

Arsenal weathered the storm, substitutes Lucas Torreira and Joe Willock sending in speculative efforts before Hector Bellerin cut inside and blazed a good opening wide.

The game was on a knife edge entering the final 15 minutes and the visitors were inches from getting their noses in front when Aubameyang headed Lacazette’s cross inches wide.

Burnley’s big chance then came 10 minutes from time.

McNeil headed Westwood’s cross back into the danger area and Rodriguez, unmarked and 10 yards out, saw his effort hit the underside of the bar and bounce on the line and to safety.

That seemed to take the wind out of the Clarets’ sails, McNeil cushioning a volley over the bar in the only real opening of the closing stages.

Burnley: Pope, Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Hendrick, Westwood, Cork, McNeil, Rodriguez, Wood. Subs: Hart, Bardsley, Long, Pieters, Brady, Lennon, Vydra.

Booked: Tarkowski

Arsenal: Leno, Bellerin, Luiz, Mustafi, Saka (Torreira 46), Guendouzi, Xhaka, Martinelli, Ozil (Willock 63), Aubameyang, Lacazette (Nketiah 89). Subs: Martinez, Sokratis, Ceballos, Pepe.  

Booked: Ozil, Xhaka, Torreira