Burnley 0 Arsenal 1
Arsenal Ramsey 12'
Man of the match Santi Cazorla (Arsenal)
BURNLEY // So this is a two-horse race, only without one of the thoroughbreds who were expected to last the course and distance.
Instead, minus Manchester City, Arsenal are the bolter from the pack who have set off in hot pursuit of leaders Chelsea. The Premier League trophy is bound for London, and if it is likelier to end up in the west of the city, it could yet reside in the north of the capital.
Chelsea have a four-point advantage, two games in hand and a manager who rarely loses a lead in a title race, but Arsenal have form, momentum and confidence. This is the title challenge few saw coming and, while it is likely to end in disappointment, they recorded an eighth straight win as second from top saw off second from bottom.
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This is Arsenal’s best run since their most famous side, “the Invincibles”, reeled off nine consecutive victories in 2004. What that team did, and this has not, is to sustain that form for an entire season.
Arsenal could come to rue their slow start to the campaign. Since November, they have been outstanding.
They have confidence and conviction. If a club of their means is expected to beat Burnley, it is worth remembering that Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur all failed to score at Turf Moor. Arsenal had registered a decisive goal inside 12 minutes.
It epitomised their relentlessness. In the space of a few seconds, Alexis Sanchez had two shots blocked by defenders and Mesut Ozil one stopped by Tom Heaton but, when the Chilean was denied for a second time, Aaron Ramsey was on hand to convert the rebound.
Arsenal’s ability to source goals from midfield is one of their great strengths, and this was Ramsey’s ninth of the season.
Like Ozil, Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud, his has been a considerable contribution recently, and while the Welshman has been shunted out to the right wing, he has still managed to exert an impact.
It showed, too, that Arsenal have a range of match-winners. Giroud has been remarkably potent of late, but this was a rarity, a quiet game for the Frenchman.
The chance to emulate Ian Wright and Thierry Henry, the only Arsenal players to score in seven successive Premier League games, is gone. From a collective perspective, it did not matter.
Arsenal scarcely required their usual goal-scorer. Their goalkeeper was a spectator for long periods, but he still made two crucial interventions.
Before Ramsey struck, David Ospina came off his line when Sam Vokes burst clear to deny the Burnley striker a first top-flight goal. The Colombian then made a superb diving save to parry Kieran Trippier’s free kick.
He has been an unheralded part of the Arsenal renaissance but, for the most part, he was well shielded.
In a clash of styles, a typically spirited Burnley attempted an aerial attack.
Past Arsenal teams might have crumbled, but this one displayed their resolve, regained the ball and kept on passing, just have passed six other sides on their surge from eighth to second. Now they only have Chelsea in their sights.
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