It was difficult to ignore the return of Mesut Özil. Arsenal’s supposed marquee player was back – given his first league start since 11 November after a back problem and his high-profile omission for tactical reasons against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. The German was central to two of Arsenal’s goals, even if he was peripheral for long spells.

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This was Özil in microcosm. Given the captain’s armband by Unai Emery, he was frequently buffeted by a physical Burnley team and largely unable to impose his passing rhythms. But he popped up early with a glorious pass that helped to make Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s first goal and late on, too, with an assist for the substitute Alex Iwobi.

Özil, though, was merely a sideshow. In a disjointed game, it was the simmering bad blood and niggle that came to hold sway.

The Burnley striker Ashley Barnes was central to much of it. He had a running battle with Sokratis Papastathopoulos – in which both players were booked – and Aubameyang would say that he had “never played in a game as feisty”.

It was summed up at full-time when Emery appeared to want to make a point to his opposite number, Sean Dyche, and grabbed him by the arm. The Burnley manager shrugged himself free and marched off.

Arguments between the rival staffs would continue into the tunnel. As ever, Barnes appeared to run on rage and Burnley’s aggression, in general, was a problem for Arsenal. Meanwhile, Emery withdrew Alexandre Lacazette on 78 minutes and the striker was furious. There was a lot of that around.

Play Video 0:48 'It can't be right': Sean Dyche slams Arsenal 'diving' after defeat – video

Not least from Dyche, who poured it all out in his post-match press conference, when he accused Arsenal of blatant cheating. He was incensed at what he felt were a series of dives from the home players and he mentioned Özil and Granit Xhaka as being among the culprits. Their tumbles did not come inside the Burnley area.

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Dyche was unhappy at Barnes’s booking – which did look harsh – arguing that Papastathopoulos had thrown an elbow while he pointed out that the Burnley defender Kevin Long ought to have had a penalty after he received a “double-handed push” in the area from Sead Kolasinac. On the other hand, Barnes did appear to get away with a stamp on Mattéo Guendouzi.

Aubameyang put Arsenal in charge with his second goal at the beginning of the second half and he now has 12 in the Premier League this season; 14 in all competitions. But Burnley made life difficult and when Barnes pulled a goal back after a penalty-area scramble, the visitors sensed a precious point.

Enter Özil. He drove into the area on a counterattack, jinked inside and caught a break when his pass deflected and broke for Iwobi. The finish was true. Arsenal had lost last Sunday at Southampton and again to Spurs in midweek. From their perspective, this was more like it. Burnley have lost eight of 10 in the Premier League.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Alex Iwobi celebrates Arsenal’s third goal with Mesut Özil. Photograph: Andrew Fosker/BPI/Rex/Shutterstock

Özil’s first involvement was to send a ball through for the marauding Kolasinac, who dinked it back and Aubameyang finished on the volley. The connection was not clean but the direction was perfect.

Arsenal had flickered at the outset with Joe Hart denying Ainsley Maitland-Niles and James Tarkowski scrambling clear before Mohamed Elneny saw a header blocked. For Burnley, Ashley Westwood could not finish when one-on-one, after a Nacho Monreal mistake.

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Arsenal’s second came after it looked as though Özil had put his team in trouble with a loose ball on the edge of his area. Elneny won it back, with help from Özil, and Arsenal broke at pace. Lacazette played the final pass and Aubameyang’s finish flicked home off Ben Mee.

Burnley refused to lie down. Papastathopoulos had to make a saving tackle on Chris Wood before Barnes’s goal and Jack Cork fluffed a half-chance with a miscue. The last word would go to Iwobi.