Arsenal will hope to continue their excellent recent form when they travel to Turf Moor on Sunday to take on Sean Dyche’s Burnley.
The Gunners are on an eight-game unbeaten run in all competitions, with their home defeat to Liverpool on the opening weekend feeling like a long time ago.
With Arsene Wenger celebrating 20 years at the club, the French tactician will hope that his current group of stars will give him the perfect present this weekend.
Burnley have failed to beat Arsenal in seven league meetings, although historically recent encounters have been closely-fought affairs with just three goals in the last three outings.
Goals have in fact been an issue for the hosts in general, as they have the second-worst record for shots on target so far this season, while they’ve conceded just five goals in their last 17 home league games.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have now won their last four Premier League games, while Alexis Sanchez will be the man to watch not only due to his recent good form, but also because he’s scored three goals in as many games against Burnley.
Team news
As confirmed on the club’s official site this week, Wenger revealed Olivier Giroud misses out along with Aaron Ramsey due to injury, while Francis Coquelin has made great progress in his recovery from a knee injury but this could possibly come too soon for him.
Meanwhile, Dyche doesn’t have any new fitness headaches to be concerned with, and is likely to name an unchanged side given that the Clarets secured a morale-boosting 2-0 win over Watford last Monday.
Prediction
Burnley 0-2 Arsenal. As mentioned above, Arsenal are unbeaten in eight, have scored 13 goals in their last four games and have kept three consecutive clean sheets.
They were exceptional in the first half against Chelsea last weekend and produced another impressive display against Basel in midweek where they could have had more than just the two goals.
In turn, there is a strong case to back them to win again on Sunday, and with the solidity that they’re showing in defence and midfield and their potency in the final third, back the Gunners to return home with all three points and potentially move up to second place in the Premier League table depending on other results.