Gyokeres on target as leaders Arsenal beat Burnley

Viktor Gyokeres ended his Premier League drought as leaders Arsenal beat Burnley 2-0 to move seven points clear at the top on Saturday.

Gyokeres put the Gunners ahead with a predatory header and Declan Rice increased the visitors’ advantage before half-time at Turf Moor.

The Swedish striker had gone five matches 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 at the end of the season.

Arsenal’s lead in the title race will likely be reduced by the end of the weekend’s games, but a blistering run of nine successive victories in all competitions served as a significant statement to their rivals.

Mikel Arteta’s side have won eight of their 10 league matches and their sparse defense has not been broken for seven consecutive matches in all competitions.

After finishing second in the Premier League for the past three seasons, Arsenal are determined to finally win their first English title since 2004 and their first trophy of any kind since the 2020 FA Cup.

Questions were asked about Arteta’s ability to lead Arsenal to the title before the start of the season, but the Spaniard took advantage of champions Liverpool’s collapse to put his team in a strong position.

Currently in the middle of a hectic run of seven matches in just 22 days, the Gunners return to Champions League action at Slavia Prague on Tuesday.

Relentless Arsenal

Arsenal’s remarkable dead ball prowess has earned them the nickname ‘Set-Pièce 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 scored in familiar fashion in the 14th minute.

After Gabriel Magalhaes teamed up with Rice to kick off Eberechi Eze against Crystal Palace last weekend, the same duo started Gyokeres’ opener.

Rice’s corner reached Gabriel and the Brazilian pushed it back to Gyokeres for a clinical header from close range.

It was the eighth time Arsenal had scored from a corner so far this season – the most ever by a team in their first 10 matches of a Premier League campaign.

Burnley had no response to Arsenal’s aerial barrage and Jurrien Timber should have doubled the lead when he met another Rice corner with a header that went over.

Arteta’s men were coming in waves and they came close again when Gyokeres teed up Bukayo Saka for a strike which 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 game as Mikel Merino replaced him at the break in another fitness scare for the injured Gunners.

But Arsenal were so dominant that Burnley failed to muster a single shot in the opening hour as the visitors cruised to victory in imposing style.