Rampant Arsenal make history as Bukayo Saka sends world-class response to debate

Another game, another emphatic win for Arsenal and their title charge is gathering pace at some rate.

Ever since their mid-season break to Dubai, the Gunners have been flying and Burnley had no answer here in a dominant 5-0 display.

They were torn apart and, truth be told, Arsenal could have left Turf Moor with more than five goals.

Given their struggles earlier this season, Mikel Arteta will be happy, though. It’s now five wins on the spin for Arsenal and they have scored 21 goals in the process.

Suddenly fears over Arsenal lacking a cutting edge have gone and the Gunners are keeping pace with leaders Liverpool.

Arsenal make history as winning run extended

The Gunners’ title charge is in full swing and this win over Burnley made it a record-breaking day for the club.

For the first time in their history, Arsenal have kicked off a year by winning their first five Premier League games. They did so with a comfortable victory here over Burnley, who never really laid a glove on the Gunners.

Arsenal started fast and took the lead inside just four minutes, with Martin Odegaard arrowing the ball into the bottom corner. It sucked what little belief was inside Turf Moor before kick-off and from there Arsenal took full control.

They were 2-0 up at the break, but in truth it should have been far more. Leandro Trossard was among those guilty of squandering good chances.

He made amends in the second-half, and so did the whole Arsenal team.

Leandro Trossard got a deserved goal after the break (REUTERS)

Odegaard continues fine form

Odegaard has looked like a man reborn since the return from the mid-season break.

The midfielder terrorised West Ham last week on the way to a 6-0 win for the Gunners – and this time it was Burnley who he put to the sword.

The hosts gave Odegaard far too much space and he took full advantage, opening them up at will during the first-half.

The Norwegian opened the scoring with a brilliant finish after Gabriel Martinelli picked him out. That goal after four minutes set the tone for Odegaard’s display and he played a brilliant ball to Kai Havertz, which helped Arsenal win a penalty that was slotted by Bukayo Saka.

The second-half was no different and Odegaard set Saka up for a second with a perfectly-weighted through-ball.

When he is in this kind of mood, there is little anyone can do.

Martin Odegaard was close to unplayable once again (PA)

Saka heads to Porto on a hot streak

Whether you think he is world class or not, there is no arguing Saka is a man in form right now.

The winger struck twice against Burnley to make it six goals in his last four games. Before that run, it had taken him 21 games to score his previous six goals.

Rio Ferdinand sparked a debate in the middle of the week when he argued Phil Foden was world class, but Saka is not. On this kind of form, you would argue against that.

Either way, Saka is flying right now and the way he took his second goal showed that. The winger took Odegaard’s pass in his stride – and then emphatically found the roof of the net with his weaker right foot.

It was the finish of man full of confidence and the timing could not be better for Arsenal, with the Gunners heading to Porto next week for the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie.

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