Let's see how he survives in games like Burnley, when it's a case of 'Can I head the ball? Can I win the second ball?'" mused Wenger in the buildup to the game. Arsenal's defence was not without alarms, but Mustafi passed the test and looks every inch a character for the heat of the battle.
3. Burnley scrap but can't quite hold on
Sean Dyche has done a magnificent job at Burnley, and perhaps except for the ruthlessness that edged tight games for them in the Championship, this performance had everything that has become their hallmark. The manner of this defeat was gut-wrenching but, on this evidence, they are by no means nailed on the desperate relegation scrap widely predicted in preseason.
The way for Burnley to make inroads here would be to scrap, harry, chase and then make use of possession effectively when it came their way. Their five-man midfield, with the Ireland international Jeff Hendrick at its tip, set the tone early on: Arsenal were allowed scant time on the ball and it was Hendrick, twice catching Granit Xhaka napping in the first 15 minutes, who led by example. The second occasion resulted in a 20-yard shot dragged wide by George Boyd. Until Vokes' miss, that was as clear as the chances got. Yet Burnley, despite their technical inferiority, were sharper to the ball and crisper in the tackle.
Burnley's organisation and anticipation are superb. The interception statistics for this match will make interesting reading as countless Arsenal moves floundered at the final pass through canny positioning of head and limbs. What they lack, in the absence of suspended striker Andre Gray, is genuine pace, but they troubled Arsenal defensively at times, particularly during the second-half spell that saw Gudmundsson and Keane come so close to scoring.
That said, Burnley were forced deeper and deeper as time went on. By the final five minutes they were barely able to leave their own half, and the sense grew that Arsenal were capable of producing one last twist. Dyche's men appeared to have seen it through with huge credit, but then came Koscielny's controversial kick in the teeth.