The Gunners were grateful to Croatian striker Eduardo who scored the first and made the second for Nicklas Bendtner.

Their opponents from the mid-table of the Coca-Cola Championship deserved to come off sthe field with their heads held high – it was not until Kyle Lafferty had been dismissed for a studs-up challenge midway through the second half that their challenge ended.

Until Bendtner’s goal it had looked an off-day for Arsenal, who had rested most of their first-choice players who were available, and for much of the game it was the Clarets’ pass-and-move football that was more pleasing to the eye.

Arsene Wenger will feel his decision to rotate the squad will have been justified by the result, and it was still a formidable-looking line-up with Denilson and Gilberto forming a Brazilian central midfield pairing.

Burnley manager Owen Coyle had veteran defender David Unsworth missing but included the former Celtic defender Stanislav Varga in his starting line-up even though the 35-year-old Slovakian international had only signed from Sunderland on loan on Friday.

Varga had a decent game, even if the wiles of Eduardo ultimately proved too much for the Clarets’ defence.

It was Burnley who had threatened first, and came within millimetres of stunning the Gunners when leading scorer Andy Gray made a surging run down the right and clipped the ball across for Lafferty to send a thunderous header thumping against the crossbar with Jens Lehmann looking well-beaten.

Abou Diaby produced a thrilling dribble that took him into shooting territory but Jon Harley produced an excellent thwarting tackle.

In the ninth minute however Eduardo cemented his reputation as one of the coolest finishers in the game with another clinical strike to make it six goals in his last four games.

The Brazilian-born Croatian seized on to a chipped pass over the top by Kolo Toure and held off Steven Caldwell before slipping the ball neatly past Gabor Kiraly.

The Championship side responded with some accomplished and attractive attacking play. First Gray managed a shot on target that Bacary Sagna’s block took the sting out of, then Robbie Blake fired just over from a right angle.

Gilberto came close to putting Arsenal two-up with a header from a corner that was cleared off the line by Graham Alexander with his chest.

Armand Traore did his level best to allow Burnley to get back on level terms with some slipshod defending. First the young Frenchman fluffed his clearance and then he dallied on the ball, allowing Burnley to claim possession inside the penalty but he escaped punishment when Chris McCann flashed his shot over the bar.

Arsenal had not been their usual fluent selves going forward but one more-typical passage of play ended with Denilson crossing and Bendtner controlling with his chest before striking an overhead kick that Kiraly was grateful came straight at him.

In the second half, Eduardo’s finishing powers for once let him down.

He and Bendtner combined excellently and a one-two saw the Croatian through on goal again but this time he put the ball the wrong side of the post – and kept Burnley’s hopes alive.

McCann floated a header too high as the Clarets tried to break through, then their task became mountainous when Lafferty was sent off for sliding in on Gilberto with his studs up.

It did not look a malicious challenge but given the instructions referees have been issued with, Alan Wiley had no option but to brandish the red card.

Almost immediately Arsenal broke with five against three and should have made Burnley pay but Emmanuel Eboue’s distribution, not for the first time, was woeful.

Burnley continued to give it a go right to the final whistle but with 15 minutes left Bendtner delivered the knockout blow.

Eduardo was the creator this time with a perfect pass down the middle allowing the Dane to take the ball around Kiraly and fire home.

Bendtner, Eboue and Eduardo both wasted further openings but another goal for Arsenal would have been tough on Burnley – and undeserved for the Gunners.