Two points lost and an injury to Fabregas bring supporters back down to earth.
The early stages at Turf Moor suggested the win over Liverpool had helped us turn a corner but a familiar complacency soon returned to leave the same question marks surrounding the squad.
Fabregas calmly slotted home the first in the seventh minute and quickly had the chance to double the lead after some fantastic skill on the edge of the area but he fired into the side netting. Arshavin then hit the post but somehow we began to lose impetus and Burnley were the more threatening team for the majority of the match.
In some respects we were fortunate to leave with any points but taking the lead against a newly promoted team should mean that we collect all three. This rollercoaster season makes predicting our final position in the league impossible but considering the inconsistent displays we manage within 90 minutes, let alone 38 games, hopes of winning the league will inevitably wane as the season progresses.
Cesc Fabregas departed before half-time with a hamstring injury that will at least rule him out of Saturday’s match against Hull. This gives Aaron Ramsey the chance to stake his claim to a starting role but our inability to keep the same eleven players fit for consecutive matches will be no help in our efforts to become more consistent.