THEY JUST CAN’T STOP SCORING!
Saka stars in another rout on the road for relentless Gunners
ARSENAL were both irrepressible and ruthless, scoring with every one of their first five shots on target. It’s been that sort of start to 2024 for Mikel Arteta’s side. No matter the hype surrounding another potential classic Manchester City-Liverpool title duel, his mob from north London aren’t going away. Martin Odegaard started the rout in a Lancashire monsoon and cupped his ear as a gesture to the celebration police. Kai Havertz, in arguably his best game in an Arsenal shirt, completed the scoring.
In between, Bukayo Saka’s double saw the England international score in four consecutive league games for the first time and stand-in centre-forward Leandro Trossard also netted.
It is the first time Arsenal have ever won their first five league games in a calendar year and the goal difference of 21-2 is a strong message to rivals.
Admittedly, Burnley were terrible and will be bottom tomorrow if Sheffield United draw or win, their troubles compounded by a seriouslooking injury to Aaron Ramsey.
But that shouldn’t take anything away from the Gunners who were just as impressive as they were last weekend when they put six past West Ham at the London Stadium.
In the first part of the season, Arsenal managed to stay in contention at the top without being at their
best. Now the goals are flowing and confidence is oozing.
‘We have the momentum and need to keep it going,’ said bullish boss Arteta.
Burnley were hampered by manager Vincent Kompany being banned from the touchline. But even Kompany the player in his Manchester City prime wouldn’t have bridged the gulf between the two teams.
The home side competed well for the opening four minutes. Then Arsenal crossed the halfway line for the first time, and scored.
Gabriel Martinelli’s pace took him clear down the left flank and he had the composure to look up and cut back to Odegaard on the edge of the area.
The Norwegian’s low first-time finish into the corner ended his run of 12 games without a goal and he marked it with a cheeky dig at those who accused him of going over the top by taking a picture on the pitch after the recent 3-1 win against Liverpool.
The teams are separated by 42 points so the result wasn’t a surprise, just Burnley’s lack of fight.
‘Not good enough — they were better in every department,’ said Kompany.
Saka set up chances for Havertz and Trossard before he added a second himself shortly before halftime.
Odegaard and Havertz sliced open the Clarets defence and Lorenz Assignon slid in and sent Trossard tumbling. Saka beat James Trafford from the spot to the goalkeeper’s left.
Burnley took off Zeki Amdouni for Johann Berg Gudmundsson at the interval to add physicality but the plan was undone within two minutes of the restart.
Odegaard released Saka running into the box and the forward thundered a finish, with his weaker right foot, that flew past Trafford at his near post.
Burnley’s sense of deflation only worsened when Ramsey was carried off on a stretcher sucking oxygen after appearing to jar his knee after being challenged by Odegaard. Kompany admitted: ‘It didn’t look good.’
Arsenal did what they could to boost their goal difference, which is now one better than leaders Liverpool, who won at Brentford yesterday and are two points clear.
Havertz’s shot was blocked by Hannes Delcroix and Trossard dispatched the rebound first-time to make it 4-0.
With Wednesday’s Champions League tie in Porto in mind, Arteta was able to remove Saka, Ben White and Trossard with almost a quarter of the game left, and Declan Rice shortly after that.
It didn’t stop another goal through Havertz after more calamitous defending from Burnley, who have now lost 10 of their 13 games at home.
Jakub Kiwior’s throw sailed over the head of Dara O’Shea and as Delcroix came across to cover Havertz, the German nutmegged him before slipping a low finish past Trafford.
While Arteta fights again for the title, Kompany will have to produce snookers to avoid an immediate drop back to the second tier. Some Burnley fans were irate at the way Arsenal’s analytics team celebrated in the press seats just behind home supporters.
Kompany admitted: ‘It is a tough one for us to take on the chin. All we can focus on is getting the energy back for the next game [away at Crystal Palace].
‘You do get games like this sometimes and where we are in the league, the gap shows. I have been in football long enough to realise these games leave you with a bad feeling.’
On Ramsey, he added: ‘I only hope it’s not as bad as it looked. I saw that it looked like his knee.’
After the trip to Portugal, Arsenal face Newcastle at the Emirates next weekend. Arteta doesn’t want to lose the feeling that his buoyant side look like scoring every time they get near the opposition penalty area.