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It was the dismantling of Burnley on a cold afternoon at Turf Moor which ticked further boxes in Arsenal’s Premier League title chase.
This was a blueprint differing from the typical ‘1-0 to the Arsenal’ style of victories seen in the league against both Fulham and Crystal Palace recently. Far from it.
The match was as good as done by half-time, Viktor Gyokeres and Declan Rice’s headed efforts having given the north London club an unassailable lead. Burnley’s expected goals ratio was then sat at 0, for context.
Yet it was the manner by which Mikel Arteta’s men had teased their opponents before dismantling them at will. It is still early days but with their rivals faltering, the Gunners’ title aspirations will take some stopping.
Take a year ago today, Arsenal defeated 1-0 by Newcastle, kick-starting the dropping off five points in that month. Now, they are a completely different proposition as the club registered a seventh consecutive clean-sheet across all competitions — equalling a club record set in 1987.
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side are a powerhouse and kept yet another clean sheet in a 2-0 win
HOW DO YOU STOP ARSENAL?
Burnley had enjoyed their fair share of possession in the opening 10 minutes. They looked up for the task ahead.
After that, though, Arsenal squeezed their neck and didn’t let go. Gyokeres’s opening goal pierced the Clarets’ self-belief, and it was a matter of damage limitation from there.
The Lancashire side are often a difficult proposition at home. Before this match, Scott Parker’s team had only lost once in the league at Turf Moor this season, a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool via a Mohamed Salah injury-time penalty. They aren’t mugs.
It makes the way the north London club picked their opponents apart all the more impressive. This wasn’t a grounded-out 1-0 victory via a solitary set-piece.
The visitors looked rather comfortable, creating numerous open-play chances; on another afternoon, the scoreline would have been wider.
Bukayo Saka had two one-vs-one opportunities in the first half against goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, the first created by a Maxime Esteve error, and the second from a Gyokeres through ball.
Dubravka saved both well, but Saka should have scored at least one of them. Leandro Trossard also had a shot cleared off the line.
Bukayo Saka (left) and Co are delivering performances and results to strike fear into other sides
Arteta said: ‘I think the first half was one of the best that we've played. Scored two goals, generated another two or three big chances and conceded nothing.
‘That was a platform because in the second half we dropped the standard, especially with the ball and with our intentions to take more risks, to play more forward. But again, defensively, we were exceptional.’
To add a further reminder as to their depth, Arteta hooked off Gyokeres at half-time with the Swede having scored the first and then playing a sublime cross-field pass in the build-up to Rice’s goal. It’s scary stuff for the league’s other teams.
On Gyokeres, he said: ‘I think it was one of the best game he's played. I think overall his performance was exceptional. We had to take him off because he was feeling a little niggle. So we'll have to wait and see.’
The Gunners have now won four top-flight games in a row without conceding for the first time since Arteta's playing days in April to May 2014 – Arteta started those four games. Across all competitions, it’s a streak of nine wins in a row.
We’re only a quarter of a way through the season, but it’s clear: Arsenal are leading the way for the title.
It was yet another set-piece that saw the Gunners go ahead at Turf Moor on Saturday
SET-PIECE BREAKS THE DEADLOCK AGAIN
Arsenal supporters at Turf Moor singing about how great their team is at set-pieces.
Who could have envisaged that six seasons ago when Arteta took over?
For all of the Gunners’ proficiency at set-pieces, not even the typically tough, rugged Burnley could stop them.
That’s how excellent Arteta’s team are at this craft. Gyokeres’ headed goal from a Rice corner involved Gabriel nodding the ball at the back post into the mix.
It’s a ploy the north London club have used time and again this season, utilising the sheer aerial ability of the Brazilian.
Every team and fan across the country knows what he will do, peeling away towards the back post. Yet most opponents cannot stop him, or Arsenal, when it comes to set-pieces.
Before this match, Arsenal had scored 11 of them in the league this season, two more than any other side. Gyokeres’ goal made it 12.
Viktor Gyokeres notched another goal and was then substituted at half-time
PLAYER RATINGS:
BURNLEY (4-2-3-1): Dubravka 7; Walker 6, Tuanzebe 5.5, Esteve 5.5, Hartman 6; Cullen 6 (Edwards 83), Florentino 6; Ugochukwu 6 (Larsen 62, 6), Laurent 6 (Mejbri 76), Anthony 6 (Tchaouna 62, 6); Flemming 6.5 (Broja 76).
Booked: Flemming, Cullen.
Manager: Scott Parker X.
ARSENAL (4-3-3): Raya 6.5; Timber 6.5, Saliba 7, Gabriel 7, Calafiori 6.5 (Hincapie 72, 6.5); Rice 8.5, Zubimendi 6.5 (Norgaard 77), Eze 7 (Nwaneri 72, 6.5); Saka 6, Gyokeres 7, Trossard 8 (Lewis-Skelly 90+1).
Scorers: Gyokeres 14, Rice 35.
Booked: Gabriel.
Manager: Mikel Arteta 7.
TROSSARD STARS ON HIS 100th APPEARANCE
AT 5ft 8in, it is not just his short height that often leaves Leandro Trossard going under the radar.
A summer splurge of around £250million, with a healthy amount spent on attackers including Gyokeres, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze, had left Trossard, presumably, periphery.
That had seemed the case after he hadn’t started in Arsenal’s opening four league games of this campaign.
Yet, as he has done since signing from Brighton in January 2023, the 30-year-old has found a way to both start matches and have an impact.
He did the same here on his 100th league appearance for the Gunners. It was his pass, deflected off Kyle Walker, which had earned the corner Gyokeres struck from.
And he then assisted Rice’s header with a well-timed cross to put the Gunners 2-0 up.
He’s very much Arteta’s man. Prior to this season starting, under Arteta no player had played more games across all competitions than Trossard (132).
During that time, he had registered 53 goals involvements (30 goals, 23 assists), a total only bettered by Saka (43 goals, 31 assists).
Trossard is not here to make up the numbers — and what a way to mark his century at the club.
