SECOND SAKA D0UBLE IN WEEK
BUKAYO SAKA topped off a menacing Arsenal display with more double delight in another statement win.
After his two goals in the ruthless 6-0 demolition of West Ham, the England star was in deadly mood again with goals either side of half-time to reinforce the Gunners’ pursuit of Premier League glory.
No one typified this commanding Arsenal win more than Saka who, like the rest of Mikel Arteta’s marauding gang, was simply unstoppable.
For the first time ever, Arsenal have started the calendar year with five straight league wins.
And after their goal blitz against the Hammers, this was more away day mayhem from the Gunners who are purring like a well-oiled machine with 21 goals in their last five games.
This was their eighth away win in 13 matches on their travels in the league – and it kept their buoyant fans in jubilant mood on a grim day in Lancashire.
To Burnley’s relief Saka was taken off after 69 minutes to be saved for bigger battles ahead but, by then, his work was done and in some style too.
The winger added to Martin Odegaard’s superb fourth-minute opener with a penalty just before the break after Leandro Trossard had been tripped by Lorenz Assignon.
And on another day of defensive chaos for Burnley, Saka made it 3-0 within 90 seconds of the second half when he rammed a drive into the roof of James Trafford’s net.
It took his tally to seven in six league games and 12 for the campaign.
Right from the start Arsenal had the look of a team brimming with confidence and, after Odegaard’s classy strike, they grabbed complete control.
At Liverpool a week earlier,
Vincent Kompany’s Burnley strugglers had acquitted themselves well in defeat.
Here they were completely outclassed and looked exactly what the league table suggests – a team heading straight back to the Championship.
Arsenal’s fluid movement was too much to handle for Burnley with Odegaard, Saka, Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz a potent force of creativity, power and goals.
Burnley just couldn’t get a foothold and they suffered a huge blow when Aaron Ramsey slumped to the turf in agony after a challenge by Odegaard.
The midfielder was carried off needing oxygen and the hosts’ day got worse when Trossard, who had just wasted two glorious chances, made it 4-0 as Burnley fell apart.
Fellow attacker Havertz could arguably lay claim to the best goal of the day, though, making it five with a nutmeg on Hannes Delcroix and a quality finish.