Wood and Barnes ‘top finishers’

with a Barnes double in a 3-0 home win over Southampton and lost 2-1 to Champions League hopefuls Arsenal last weekend, with Barnes again getting on the scoresheet.

Arsenal defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos said facing the physical Wood and Barnes was in some ways tougher than squaring up against Liverpool’s strikers, who the Gunners meet this weekend.

‘‘It is a different game,’’ he said. ‘‘Maybe [Liverpool] is more easy, because you don’t have to fight a lot – but they also play football.’’

Arsenal’s Brazilian centreback David Luiz enjoyed his physical tussle with Barnes.

‘‘Barnes is a great player, he never gives up,’’ Luiz said. ‘‘There is a respect there for each other because we are both trying to do our job. I will always try to do my best.’’

Barnes and Wood first forged a partnership at Brighton in League One when the Kiwi was on loan there from West Bromwich Albion in the 2010-11 season.

Wood (1.91m) and Barnes (1.86m) present a physical challenge for EPL defenders.

Wood, 27, told the Lancashire Telegraph this week: ‘‘Some strikers just click with each other and it works well with us two.

‘‘You can’t put anything on it, it’s just one of those things.’’

Wood said it was ‘‘very nice’’ for the duo to receive praise, but it would not distract them from the job at hand.

‘‘We have to do the business and score the goals and put in good performances. That’s what we need to continue to do for the whole season.’’

Wood was delighted at Barnes’ strong start to the season and hoped his own first goal was not far away.

‘‘It’s good to see that at least one of us is scoring when we’re playing up top together which is the best thing. That’s what you want when you’re in a striker partnership. Hopefully, mine are around the corner and we can score a lot more together.

‘‘It’s been like that for a number of years, especially here and then back at Brighton.

‘‘We’ve always had a good relationship when we play up top. It works well and long may it continue.’’

Burnley travel to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday.