Another set-piece goal and another clean sheet led to another victory for Arsenal as the Gunners eked out a 2–0 win away to Burnley on Saturday afternoon.
“Tomorrow will be an extremely tough match for us,” Mikel Arteta predicted on Friday afternoon. He was wrong. Arsenal may have ceded the initiative for much of the second half, and had the frame of their goal struck by a stoppage-time free kick, but for the third time in four Premier League games, David Raya once again wasn’t forced into a single save.
Viktor Gyökeres got a nerve-settling early opener from a corner before Declan Rice, Arsenal’s chief taker, headed a goal of his own during a swift counter upfield in a laughably one-side first half. The north London outfit did just enough to hold Burnley at bay throughout the final 45 minutes, claiming a ninth consecutive win to move seven points clear at the Premier League summit.
Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Burnley (4-2-3-1)
GK: David Raya—7.1: Yet again, criminally underworked.
RB: Jurriën Timber—6.7: Punched the ball into Bukayo Saka’s feet at every opportunity.
CB: William Saliba—7.4: Gave the impression of a player entirely unflustered by the prospect of Burnley’s frontline. That confidence was well placed.
CB: Gabriel—8.2: Everton’s famed centre forward Dixie Dean jokingly credited his fearsome aerial prowess to the metal plates inserted into his skull after a motorcycle accident at the start of his career. Gabriel appears to boast a magnet in his forehead, finding the ball drift beneath his hairline in both boxes with frightening frequency.
LB: Riccardo Calafiori—7.3: Caused plenty of headaches among the Burnley backline with his unorthodox positioning.
CM: Martín Zubimendi—7.1: Kept Arsenal’s game ticking over with the right type of passes rather than the flashiest, routinely opting for little tickles around the corner in his own defensive third before going for something more adventurous at the top of the pitch.
CM: Declan Rice—8.9: Cantered around the pitch with a swagger. Rice just seemed stronger, swifter and more skilful than every claret shirt on the pitch.
AM: Eberechi Eze—6.8: Offered precious little in possession during a second anonymous performance in the space of four days.
RW: Bukayo Saka—6.9: Endured a frustrating afternoon, as the final piece of the puzzle—be it a touch, cross or shot on goal—just seemed to be lacking.
ST: Viktor Gyökeres—7.8: The only downside to a refreshingly well-rounded performance was that it lasted just 45 minutes. Beside his goal and familiar hold-up play, Gyökeres also demonstrated a hitherto unspotted range of passing in the buildup to Rice’s strike, spraying a devilish ball out to Trossard during a rare counterattack.
LW: Leandro Trossard—7.9: Locked in an enthralling battle with Kyle Walker. What he lacked in physicality and pace against the speed merchant, he made up for with a superb range of technical skill.
Subs not used: Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK), Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera, Max Dowman.
Burnley (5-4-1)
Starting XI: Martin Dúbravka; Kyle Walker, Josh Laurent, Axel Tuanzebe, Maxime Estève, Quilindschy Hartman; Lesley Ugochukwu, Florentino Luís, Josh Cullen, Jaidon Anthony; Zian Flemming.
Subs used: Jacob Bruun Larsen, Loum Tchaouna, Hannibal Mejbri, Armando Broja, Marcus Edwards.
Burnley 0–2 Arsenal—How It Unfolded at Turf Moor
If Arsenal have a set pieces, someone is definitely getting on the end of it - This time it was Gyokeres' turn. pic.twitter.com/oXgpHbrm63
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) November 1, 2025
“There’s a confidence and buzz around the place,” Burnley’s Scott Parker beamed as the Clarets bounced into Saturday’s clash buoyed by back-to-back wins. Turf Moor had fallen decidedly flat inside the opening 15 minutes.
The hosts started brightly enough, huddling in a compact 5-4-1 shell as they sought to stymy and stifle the Premier League leaders. That sense of hope which Parker vocalised lasted until Arsenal won their first corner of the contest.
A typically vicious Rice delivery found the familiar figure of Gabriel at the back post. The Brazilian menace diverted the ball back across goal with his foot—rather than head—on this occasion, picking out an oddly unmarked Gyökeres standing all of three yards from goal.
Turf Moor seemed to be tilted towards the goal an increasingly beleaguered Martin Dúbravka was defending thereafter as Arsenal eagerly sought out a second. The Clarets keeper twice denied Bukayo Saka, while it took a combination of Axel Tuanzebe and Quilindschy Hartman to clear a Leandro Trossard effort off the line.
Arteta’s side would eventually double their lead in the 35th minute through Rice. At the end of a sweeping move which began with Kyle Walker launching a long throw into Arsenal’s box, the visiting midfielder crashed into Burnley’s penalty area to head a deft cross from Trossard into the bottom corner.
Arsenal’s domination of proceedings was so suffocating that even the hosts’ official mascot, Bertie Bee, had lost his buzz, slumping to the turf during the second half as Burnley went in search of a shot—not a shot on target, just any vague effort at goal.
Zian Flemming belatedly mustered an attempt for the hosts in the 71st minute. A matter of seconds later, Florentino Luís had a far better sight of goal for Burnley, but could only spoon his close-range header comfortably over the crossbar after a rare lapse in the Arsenal backline at a set piece.
Marcus Edwards would crash a free-kick against Raya’s post in the 97th minute but by that point, Arsenal had settled to just keep Burnley at arm’s length. There is also a healthy gap opening up between the Gunners and the rest of the division.
Burnley vs. Arsenal Half-Time Stats
Burnley vs. Arsenal Full Time Stats
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Burnley: Rinse and Repeat for Runaway Leaders.