Bukayo Saka's double gave Arsenal a comfortable 5-0 victory over lowly Burnley, and the Gunners once again narrowed the gap to Premier League leaders Liverpool to two points.
Martin Odegaard's goal in the 4th minute gave the Gunners the lead and they controlled the match from start to finish, but Saka took the lead from the spot after Leandro Trossard was fouled by Maxime Esteve. I doubled it.
Saka exploded in the third moment after half-time to take his tally to seven goals in his last six Premier League games, with Trossard scoring his fourth after an hour.
Arsenal have scored 21 goals in their five Premier League games since the winter break, with Kai Havertz also having time to score on his own.
Despite their current underwhelming form, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said his side were hoping to build on a productive afternoon.
“On the pitch, you're seeing certain behaviors where they want to keep going more and more, and they're not happy with certain things, and I think that's a great sign,” he said. sky sports After the match.
“They wanted more. The way they went back in the 95th minute was really unbelievable. It shows the desire that the whole team has, including the finishers, the starters and even the players who are not there. Really good afternoon was.”
Burnley, on the other hand, are without a win in eight games and remain safe with seven points.
How Arsenal turned the Clarets blue
In fact, Burnley kept most of the ball and made some early runs in the opening five minutes, but Arsenal attacked them on the break with their first attack.
Declan Rice fed Gabriel Martinelli from the left and turned the ball back to Odegaard on the edge of the area. The Arsenal captain was completely unmarked and under no pressure, but he fired a shot past James Trafford at his near post.
It could have been two minutes later, and it should have been. Trossard was released one-on-one by Saka and the Belgian tried to round Trafford by cutting inside instead of shooting. Trafford put his palm on the ball and headed to safety.
Saka's corner kick was headed in by Gabriel, while Burnley's only chance of the first half went to Wilson Odbert, whose cross-cum-shot was saved by David Raya.
However, it was Arsenal who took the lead two minutes before half-time. Trossard was clipped by Esteve in the box and this allowed Saka to beat Trafford from 12 yards.
A few seconds after half-time, Saka was back on his feet. With Odegaard playing on the right, the England winger drove his right-footed shot high into the roof of the net.
Burnley's afternoon went from bad to worse, with Aaron Ramsey limping off with an apparent knee injury and the young midfielder requiring oxygen before being carried off the pitch on a stretcher.
Trossard deflected two chances from Martinelli's passes before scoring Arsenal's fourth goal. After Havertz's shot was blocked, he pounced on the loose ball in the area and connected it with his left foot.
Havertz reacted to a quick long throw from Jakub Kiviol, won the ball inside the box and slotted it into the goal.
Arsenal made the changes ahead of their Champions League last-16 clash with Porto in midweek, but Burnley's distress was compounded by 10 minutes of stoppage time. Arsenal took advantage of the rain to show their dominance.
Arteta: I thought it would be a different afternoon.
Mikel Arteta has reacted to Arsenal's 5-0 win over Burnley at Turf Moor, saying they need to maintain the momentum they have built in recent weeks.
arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to sky sports: “It was a really tricky game today. It was a tough place to come and win. Burnley were really good, competitive and consistent against the top teams, so I thought it was going to be a completely different afternoon. I expected that.”
“It's true that we scored the goal early, which made the game easier and the flow of the game better. But I still think they're a really good team.”
“Personally, we are in a really good period and Bukayo is in a good period as well. We need to keep it going. We have that momentum and it's still going to continue. There are still things we can improve on. So we keep moving forward.”
“The only bad thing in this game was Aaron Ramsey, I think he had a really bad injury so I wish him the best and hope it's not a bad injury.
“We have to believe that we can win every game. We approach every game that way. When a team has that belief and confidence, something good will happen. It can happen.”
“But we know the standards and what it takes. We have to keep raising those standards. We believe we can do it, as we see in training every day. Let’s aim for that.”
Company: We feel we have recently turned a corner.
Coach Vincent Kompany admitted that Burnley did not perform to their fullest in their 5-0 defeat against Arsenal, but he cannot dwell on the defeat.
burnley manager vincent compagny to sky sports: “It wasn't good enough. I think in moments like this you take it on the chin. They were better than us, but we don't perform at the highest level possible. was.”
“In many games so far, the last 14 of the 15, we didn't have any doubts about our performance. But today was a bad performance, which can sometimes happen.
“We can't let that affect the next game. This week is going to be a week for us to focus on the next game and come together and show what we're all about.”
“My goal is always to be there for the players, especially when times are tough. I felt like we were moving in some positive direction and felt like we could turn a corner. Today. On days like this, you'll probably notice that other people around you are doubtful.'' In this regard, however, it's important to stick to your guns and prepare for the next match.
“Of course the belief is there. But our priority now is that we can't dwell on this game. We played against a very good team. We have to move on. Now. is keeping an eye on Palace.”
On fans leaving early: “Of course. It's 5-0 against them. I've never been to a club where the fans stood and applauded at the end of a game like this.”
“It's tough. Losing games is part of the tough moments. But even when you're at the top of the league you still lose games and it's the same for other players.”
Regarding Aaron Ramsey's injury: “He didn't look good. We don't know the extent of his injuries yet. We wish him well, we hope he recovers and we hope it's not as bad as we think.”
Analysis: Arsenal look complete
Sam Blitz of Sky Sports:
Arsenal started the weekend dreaming of Kylian Mbappé. They will end it wondering if they really need him.
There has been much talk since the winter break about whether the Gunners need to strengthen their front line, with Mikel Arteta's side scoring 21 goals in five Premier League games. This includes five goals against Crystal Palace, six against West Ham and five against Burnley.
Still, some will argue that Arsenal need a striker who can score 30 goals a season. However, three reasons show that this is not the case.
First, there have been nine different goal scorers among the 21 goals since Jan. 20, indicating a desire to spread firepower across the team through personnel. Arsenal don't need Erling Haaland if multiple players can score 15 goals and defenders contribute from set pieces.
Second: Arsenal have a star player in Bukayo Saka who can fill the goalscorer role if they need one star. Asked after the match if Saka had been influenced by his connection with Mbappe, Arteta said: “I don't know. I don't think he needs to motivate Bukayo that much.”
The 22-year-old has scored 12 goals this season, including seven in his last six league games, and is a candidate for this season's Golden Boot.
And thirdly, Arsenal's lack of goals means they need less from the top. At one end they have scored 21 points, but at the other end they have conceded just two. One was an own goal against Liverpool and the other was a late consolation against Nottingham Forest.
In short, Arsenal look complete.
What's next?
burnley travel to crystal palace Next Saturday's Premier League match could be key to the relegation battle. Kickoff at 3pm.
arsenal The Champions League campaign resumes on Wednesday, porto In the first leg of the last 16. Kickoff at 8pm.They return to Premier League action next Saturday as hosts newcastle; Kickoff at 8pm.
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