Remember the fallout from Arsenal’s FA Cup exit at home to Liverpool? It was only six matches ago after all, and seemingly irrefutable evidence that a fruitless season awaited Mikel Arteta’s side unless they signed a proven goalscorer. One did not arrive, yet 21 Arsenal goals have in the five games since. Burnley were the latest to suffer from the rampant, creative energy that has catapulted Arsenal back into title contention.
With Martin Ødegaard conducting another irrepressible away performance Arsenal made it five successive Premier League wins in some style. Their captain, Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz all registered as the visitors scored with their first five shots on target. The range of goalscorers reflected a team taking responsibility for its recovery. Arsenal have won the first five games of a calendar year for the first time in their history. Burnley’s only cheer on a deflating afternoon came when the PA announced the cancellation of the late train taking Arsenal fans back to London. “Just not good enough,” was Vincent Kompany’s verdict on his team, not the trains. “Arsenal were better than us in every department.”
Arteta unsurprisingly stuck with the same lineup that routed West Ham and got the same outcome. Another convincing away win beckoned when Arsenal scored from their first attack, Ødegaard sweeping into the bottom corner after Declan Rice and Gabriel Martinelli had exposed Burnley’s right flank. The Norway international celebrated his eighth goal of the season by cupping his ears, a response perhaps to criticism he received for enjoying Arsenal’s recent league win over Liverpool. It marked the start of an immaculate display from the midfielder. Ødegaard operated on a different plain to the opposition, his vision, timing and technique making everything look so easy.
Burnley performed well in defeat at Anfield last weekend, where a third yellow card of the campaign for Kompany resulted in him spending the afternoon in the Turf Moor stands. It meant he had an elevated view of a far more comprehensive beating. Burnley struggled to disrupt Arsenal’s rhythm, retain possession or pressurise the visiting defence. They also failed to read Havertz’s diagonal runs from the left and, with Ødegaard finding them repeatedly, it was only a matter of time before Arsenal extended their lead. The pair combined to release Trossard in the box where he was unceremoniously upended by Lorenz Assignon. Saka swept a blatant penalty just past the despairing dive of James Trafford.
There were a few boos from home fans at the half-time whistle. Their despondency never lifted. Saka scored his sixth goal in four games within two minutes of the restart following another superb pass from Ødegaard, who threaded the ball behind the left-back Hannes Delcroix. Saka took the invitation in his stride and blazed an unstoppable finish into the roof of the Burnley net.
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Ødegaard was also involved in a serious injury that befell Aaron Ramsey, though no blame was attached to the Arsenal captain. Ramsey rode Ødegaard’s challenge before catching his foot in the turf. His right knee buckled as a consequence. The unfortunate Burnley player needed oxygen as he was taken off on a stretcher in distress.
Trossard, having spurned several good chances, sent an emphatic finish beyond Trafford after Ødegaard (who else?) released Jakub Kiwior down the left and his low cross found its way to the in-form striker.
Arsenal’s fifth was galling from a Burnley perspective, and cue for thousands of home fans to leave early. It came direct from a long throw by Kiwior down the line to Havertz, who simply took the ball away from a dozing Burnley defence, nutmegged Delcroix and beat Trafford with a nonchalant finish. “We want six,” chanted a jubilant away support. For once Arsenal did not oblige. There were no complaints.
A delighted Arteta said of Arsenal’s 21-goal haul: “The contribution of every single player has been very good. It looked like we wanted more, we weren’t satisfied, even at 5-0. We want to dominate the game and play in the opponents’ half as much as possible. The threat, the purpose and the connection of the players is flowing and they really want it. We have momentum and we need to maintain it.”
