The question is now whether any team have had a better five-game spell this season. During that time they have 96 shots on goal with an xG of 14.01, and conceding an xG of just 1.71 in total. The statistics are speaking for themselves.
“I hope we can do it [win the title] because we are there but it is about consistency and you see the standards of the other teams. We want it, that’s for sure,” Arteta said.
Arsenal eased off the pedal for 25 minutes last weekend after hitting six at West Ham, but they took little time to get scoring again. Another team in claret, another game in which they looked in total control. Within 237 seconds of kick-off, their fans were singing “1-0 to the Arsenal” in the Cricket Field Stand.
Vincent Kompany was sat in the directors’ box, serving his ban for picking up three yellow cards, and would not have been happy with his players backing off Arsenal as the visitors easily swept the ball across the pitch into a promising attacking position. Possession went through Declan Rice and was shifted to Gabriel Martinelli on the left flank. When Odegaard was found unmarked on the edge of the area, the Arsenal captain was afforded too much time and was able to volley a daisy-cutter inside the post. It was his eighth of the season but ended a relative drought of 12 matches since he netted on Dec 2.
Odegaard also had a hand in the second goal which put the match to bed before half-time. He set up the attack with a pass that cut through the defence. When Havertz laid the ball off for Trossard, he was hauled down by Lorenz Assignon, who protested but had clearly fouled. Burnley players thought Odegaard was the penalty taker as he stood with the ball, but the Arsenal captain was protecting Saka from any opponents looking to get in his head as players waited for VAR. Saka was tossed the ball and fired low into the corner of the net, then added the next goal 85 seconds after the interval. Odegaard, of course, set it up again. This time the captain was fed by Havertz and he played a reverse pass inside Hannes Delcroix’s channel. It invited Saka to approach goal and the England forward blasted into the roof of the net.
“I don’t think he needs much motivation,” said Arteta, when asked if talk of competing for Kylian Mbappe’s signature may have inspired Saka. Trossard added a fourth goal when Burnley failed to clear, then Havertz added his goal after collecting a long throw, nutmegging Delcroix and finishing.
“We are in a good moment, we have won all of the games so far so it feels good. Behind that was hard work and there are many hard games to come. We have to continue the hard work,” Havertz said.
Kompany described Arsenal as better in every department and fears the worse for Aaron Ramsey, who needed lengthy treatment after a serious knee injury.
“It did not look good. It looked like something happened with his knee but it is too early to know,” Kompany said.