Viktor Gyokeres helps Arsenal consolidate position at top with win over Burnley

Mikel Arteta's team ease to 2-0 victory for ninth consecutive triumph

Arsenal's Viktor Gyokeres after scoring against Burnley at Turf Moor. PA

Viktor Gyokeres ended his Premier League goal drought as leaders Arsenal beat Burnley 2-0 to move seven points clear at the top on Saturday.

Gyokeres put the Gunners in front with a fine header and Declan Rice increased the visitors' advantage before half-time at Turf Moor.

The Sweden striker had gone five games without scoring in the top-flight as part of a disappointing spell of two goals in nine matches in all competitions.

Gyokeres got back on track with his first league goal since September 13 and his sixth in all competitions since arriving from Sporting Lisbon in the close-season.

Arsenal's lead in the title race is likely to be trimmed by the weekend but a blistering run of nine successive victories in all competitions has served as a significant statement to their rivals.

Mikel Arteta's side have won eight of their 10 league games and their stout defence has not been breached for seven successive matches in all competitions.

After finishing as Premier League runners-up for the last three seasons, Arsenal are determined to finally win their first English title since 2004 and their first trophy of any kind since the 2020 FA Cup.

Arsenal manager Arteta was delighted with the performance.

"The first half was exceptional, we scored two goals and gave nothing away. That was the platform," he told BBC.

"We had to make a few changes and didn't have that much control in the second half. Defending was exceptional again. There is a reason they have lost one game in 18 months here, against Liverpool in the last second of the game."

Meanwhile, Crystal Palace brushed aside London rivals Brentford in a comfortable 2-0 home win thanks to Jean-Philippe Mateta's header and a Nathan Collins own goal.

Mateta gave Palace a deserved lead in the 30th minute after Jefferson Lerma headed Yeremy Pino's booming freekick back across goal for the French striker to nod home his sixth league goal of the campaign.

Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta celebrates scoring against Brentford at Selhurst Park. Reuters

Palace's second came six minutes after the break via the old-school method of a long throw into the box from Lerma, which the unfortunate Collins headed into his own net.

Palace's win, their first in four league games, puts them seventh on 16 points from 10 games, while Brentford slip to 12th with 13 points.

Also, Diego Gomez scored his first Premier League goals of the season as Brighton romped to a 3-0 win over a poor Leeds at the Amex Stadium.

The home side were at their dynamic best and showed no mercy once Daniel Farke's team began to fall apart midway through the second half, though even before that Leeds had offered next to nothing.

It was a miserable away performance throughout which laid bare the problems this team has scoring goals on the road with just three all season.

Danny Welbeck opened the scoring early, the visitors held the score at 1-0 for almost an hour then capitulated in the space of seven minutes, Gomez twice showing perfect timing in the box to put Leeds to the sword.