Viktor Gyokeres ended his Premier League goal drought as leaders Arsenal beat Burnley 2-0 to move seven points clear at the top on Saturday.
Gyokeres put the Gunners in front with a predatory header and Declan Rice increased the visitors’ advantage before half-time at Turf Moor.
The Sweden striker had gone five games without scoring in the top-flight as part of a disappointing spell of two goals in nine matches in all competitions.
Gyokeres got back on track with his first league goal since September 13 and his sixth in all competitions since arriving from Sporting Lisbon in the close season.
Arsenal’s lead in the title race is likely to be trimmed by the time the rest of the weekend’s games are played, but a blistering run of nine successive victories in all competitions has served as a significant statement to their rivals.
Mikel Arteta’s side have won eight of their 10 league games and their parsimonious defence has not been breached for seven successive matches in all competitions.
Also read: Arsenal beat Brighton 2-0 to reach Carabao Cup quarters
After finishing as Premier League runners-up for the last three seasons, Arsenal is determined to finally win their first English title since 2004 and their first trophy of any kind since the 2020 FA Cup.
Questions were being asked about Arteta’s ability to lead Arsenal to the title before the start of the season, but the Spaniard has taken advantage of champions Liverpool’s collapse to put his team in a strong position.
Currently in the midst of a hectic run of seven matches in just 22 days, the Gunners return to action in the Champions League at Slavia Prague on Tuesday.
Arsenal’s remarkable prowess at dead balls has seen them nicknamed “Set-Piece FC” this season
They were the first team in Europe’s top five leagues to score 10 goals from set-pieces in the current campaign, and they struck in familiar fashion in the 14th minute.
After Gabriel Magalhaes combined with Rice to set up Eberechi Eze’s winner against Crystal Palace last weekend, the same duo laid on Gyokeres’s opener.
Rice’s in-swinging corner reached Gabriel, and the Brazilian knocked it back to Gyokeres for a clinical close-range header.
It was the eighth time Arsenal had scored from a corner so far this season — the most ever from a team in their first 10 matches of a Premier League campaign.
Burnley had no answer to Arsenal’s aerial barrage and Jurrien Timber should have doubled the lead when he met another Rice corner with a header that flashed over.
Arteta’s men were pouring forward in waves, and they went close again when Gyokeres teed up Bukayo Saka for a strike that was palmed away by Martin Dubravka before Leandro Trossard’s follow-up was cleared off the line.
Arsenal’s relentless pressure produced a second goal in the 35th minute when Trossard’s chipped cross was headed emphatically past Dubravka by Rice.
Gyokeres was unable to finish the match as Mikel Merino replaced him at the break in a fresh fitness scare for the injury-hit Gunners.
But Arsenal was so dominant that Burnley were unable to muster a single shot in the first hour as the visitors cruised to victory in commanding style.
AFP
