It was fitting that the soundtrack to Arsenal’s emergence onto the pitch at Turf Moor evoked a Spaghetti Western. Mikel Arteta’s team sauntered into town like antiheroes who don’t give a damn about anyone and anything that stands in their way. Duels are there to be won. Bounty is there to be hunted. They will use their cunning — ruthlessly, and unstoppably — for their own reward.
Arsenal’s old manager George Graham loved a Western. He encouraged his team to approach away games like a raid. Get in, do your stuff, and get out of there. Mikel Arteta’s men came to Burnley and emulated a record Graham’s team once set in completing seven straight wins without conceding a goal. Yet again, they didn’t even give up a shot on target. They mean serious business.
The job was essentially done in a first half of dominant relentlessness. It had the major hallmarks of this campaign — a set-piece goal, a ferocious commitment to defending their own net, and a collective will to squeeze their opponents into submission. “I think the first half was one of the best that we’ve played,” Arteta said. “Scored two goals, generated another two or three big chances, and conceded nothing.”
This run, characterised by these unyielding habits, won’t go on forever, but for now, they are coming into every contest with this mindset.
For all the emphasis on their steel (and we have to rewind to 1903 for a longer run of shutouts), it is important to recognise that Arsenal are setting the pace in the Premier League at a time when they have been metaphorically chained to a stack of attacking injuries.
David Raya celebrates after Declan Rice scored Arsenal’s second goal (George Wood/Getty Images)
There is good news in the near future with the returns of Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus not too far away, and with Kai Havertz inching closer. They have had to forge this season’s story so far without all of them for long periods, plus injuries to Bukayo Saka and, more recently, Gabriel Martinelli.
It was a worry, therefore, that Viktor Gyokeres withdrew with a knock at half-time, particularly as he enjoyed his most rounded performance in a first half in which he was central to both goals and to the creation of other chances, thanks to his hard running and eagerness to influence the game. It looked like a day off in midweek did him the power of good and he was fully engaged from the off.
In the 14th minute, Burnley were unhappy with the award of a corner, and given the probability of what might happen next, that’s understandable. Rice whipped in one of his specials, Gabriel arrived to knock the ball back, and Gyokeres was positioned right in front of the goal line to nod the ball over with relish.
In a cunning twist, Arsenal then scored from another dead-ball variation, only this time it was Burnley’s. The home team had a long throw in a promising position, but in a heartbeat, that turned into a devastating counter-attack.
Gabriel cleared the ball with the desire he shows for anything there to be won in either box. Saka glanced on for a bursting Gyokeres, who showcased a different side to his game with a punchy crossfield pass as Arsenal raced forward. Leandro Trossard was the recipient, and he delayed, took a look, and picked out Rice to power in a header. He looked up at the skies in celebration to honour his aunt Beverley, who passed away recently.
Rice was a marvel all game. It was an exemplary box-to-box display. He was ball-winning for fun, effortlessly turning into space, eagle-eyed in spreading passes, always available, constantly encouraging his team-mates.
He was not the only one. When Arsenal huddled before the restart, it was Trossard — now the only forward who has been consistently available this season — who spoke from the heart to keep the team on track.
Arsenal tailed off when Gyokeres was replaced by Mikel Merino, who is less suited to the bulldozing runs and muscular press that caused Burnley problems. But they could rely on the control of the rearguard to keep the majority of problems at arm’s length.
Gyokeres scored, but had to be taken off at half-time through injury (Peter Powell/AFP via Getty Images)
It typified Arsenal’s attitude when Burnley had a couple of moments late in the game. Arteta described a situation when the opposition were able to break from an Arsenal corner: “You see 10 players sprinting 80 metres. I mean, we play with that desire, with that focus, with that discipline, we’ll win a lot of games.”
Then, in the last seconds, it was instructive to see the reaction when Marcus Edwards struck a post with one of the last actions of the match. A let-off, sure, but one that maintained Arsenal’s pride in keeping their defensive platform unblemished. David Raya and his defenders celebrated intensely.
Rice summed up how it feels to have those defenders at the base of the team: “They live and breathe defending and every duel means something to them. They are something special.”
Arteta’s points-hunters continue their travels this week, heading off to Prague in the Champions League before plotting a raid at Sunderland next weekend. They will aim to stay solid and stick together to get what they desire.