Arsenal partly undid the hard work of their second-half display at Liverpool by dropping two points at Turf Moor and losing ground on both Chelsea and Manchester United.

The Gunners were gifted an early lead and had a number of chances to at least double that advantage in the first quarter.

But the Clarets continued their impressive home form after Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen’s intemperate lunge on Andre Bikey gave Graham Alexander the chance to equalise from the penalty spot.

And a pulsating game could have gone either way after that, with the frame of the goal and the frames of the goalkeepers combining to prevent any further scoring.

Burnley’s lightning start nearly brought them a second-minute lead when Vermaelen’s back-header was tipped onto the crossbar by an out-of-position Manuel Almunia in the Gunners’ goal.

But they were undermined in the seventh minute when hesitation on the edge of their own box by Bikey and Clark Carlisle allowed Fabregas to nip in and side-foot the ball past keeper Brian Jensen.

Fabregas found the side-netting two minutes later, snatching at a left-foot shot when well-placed. And Andrei Arshavin struck the post with another left-foot effort from the edge of the box on the quarter-hour mark.

But after Alexander’s penalty drew Burnley level on 28 minutes, and Arsenal lost Fabregas at half-time through injury, it was end-to-end stuff.

Vermaelen nearly atoned for earlier errors right on half-time but Jensen was equal to his powerful close-range header.

And Chris Eagles struck the post for the hosts after 61 minutes following an excellent run down the right and low right-foot drive.

The Clarets were unluckier still five minutes later when Steven Fletcher converted Kevin McDonald’s cross from the right only to be erroneously flagged offside.

And although Arsenal dominated late possession as Owen Coyle’s men tired, they were unable to fashion a winner, which would have been more than they deserved.