Six days on from a history-making six-goal victory, Arsenal seek to prolong their perfect Premier League record in 2024 when they travel to Lancashire to square off with Burnley on Saturday.
Mikel Arteta's men obliterated London rivals West Ham United 6-0 in gameweek 24, whereas the Clarets' trip to league leaders Liverpool ended in a 3-1 defeat.
Match preview
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Burnley boss Vincent Kompany may have helped Manchester City win a plethora of accolades during his time in sky blue, but he could not do his former side another favour at Anfield, where Liverpool quickly regained top spot from the Premier League champions last Saturday.
In front of the largest-ever crowd to pack into Anfield for a Premier League fixture, Burnley unexpectedly entered the break on level terms courtesy of Dara O'Shea's aerial reply to a Diogo Jota opener, but the Clarets had no response to Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez's headers in the second period.
Still waiting for their inaugural victory of 2024, 19th-placed Burnley are now only clear of basement side Sheffield United on goal difference thanks to the Blades' surprise win at Luton Town last weekend, and the gap to the 17th-placed Hatters - who have played a game fewer - stands at seven points.
Nunez's insurance goal for Liverpool last weekend also represented the 50th that the leaky Clarets have shipped in the ongoing Premier League season - conceding at an average of just over two per game in their first season back in the top flight - although scoring in five successive Premier League contests offers the Clarets a miniscule glimmer of hope.
Furthermore, after enduring a harrowing seven-game losing run at Turf Moor since the season began, Kompany's men have now taken points from three of their last five matches in front of their own fans, holding Luton and Fulham to respectable score draws at their Lancashire headquarters.
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Such statistics may prove irrelevant if Arsenal's last away day is anything to go by, though, as Arteta masterminded the Gunners' biggest Premier League win away from home to date - and their joint-largest in their entire league history - against the feeble West Ham.
Despite having to wait over half an hour to break the deadlock through William Saliba, Arsenal tore the Europa Conference League winners to shreds once first blood had been drawn, as Bukayo Saka (two), Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Magalhaes also got in on the act before Declan Rice scored the pick of the bunch with a phenomenal long-range effort at his old home.
Neither Rice nor Arteta celebrated the former's wonder strike in front of a half-empty London Stadium, but the elated Arsenal fans were in terrific voice as their side moved level on both points and goal difference with Manchester City, who have a game in hand but are now only ahead of Arteta's third-placed troops on goals scored.
Only once before have Arsenal won their first four league games of a calendar year, when George Allison led the Gunners to title glory in 1934-35, and should the North London giants prevail at Turf Moor this weekend, it will mark the first time in their history that they have triumphed in their opening five league matches in a calendar year.
Conceding a division-low 11 goals on the road in 2023-24 suggests that the Gunners are on course to write another page of club history against Burnley, whom they overcame 3-1 at the Emirates back in November, and they have gone without defeat in their last 10 Premier League trips to Turf Moor, although 50% of those contests have ended level.
Team News
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On his first Premier League start for Burnley, Montpellier HSC-owned defender Maxime Esteve had to come off in the 80th minute at Anfield, although there is currently nothing to indicate that the France Under-21 international will not be able to face the Gunners.
That is more than can be said for long-term absentees Nathan Redmond (hamstring) and Luca Koleosho (knee), while Lyle Foster was an unexpected absentee against Liverpool due to a chronic injury, which he has since undergone an operation on.
Jordan Beyer's thigh injury is still giving him grief as well, but Charlie Taylor's shoulder issue might heal in time for Saturday's fixture; Hannes Delcroix should continue at left-back if need be after making his own return from the treatment room at Anfield.
Sticking with the theme of injured left-backs, Arsenal's frequent calf victim Oleksandr Zinchenko missed the thrashing of West Ham with the issue he sustained against Liverpool, while Takehiro Tomiyasu was also unavailable for the London Stadium slaughter after returning from the Asian Cup with a niggle.
Gabriel Jesus (knee) and Emile Smith Rowe (ankle) are on Arteta's touch-and-go list too, and the Spaniard's decision to drop Jorginho for the West Ham fixture was met with surprise at first, but he subsequently revealed that the Italian was carrying a knock of his own.
Jurrien Timber (ACL), Thomas Partey (thigh) and Fabio Vieira (groin) make up the visitors' long-term absentees, although the latter is said to be targeting a return for next week's Champions League last-16 first leg with former club Porto.
Burnley possible starting lineup:
Trafford; Assignon, O'Shea, Esteve, Delcroix; Odobert, Berge, Brownhill, Bruun Larsen; Amdouni, Datro Fofana
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Odegaard, Rice, Havertz; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli
We say: Burnley 0-3 Arsenal
Burnley may no longer roll over at Turf Moor as they did in the opening months of the campaign, but faced with a defensively-sound Arsenal side who have also rediscovered their potency up front, the Clarets faithful should be in for a chastening afternoon.
Even with their impending Champions League trip to Portugal playing on their minds, a ruthless, free-flowing and aerially dominant Gunners contingent should etch their name into Arsenal folklore in Lancashire, although any supporters praying for another six-goal success may be left disappointed.
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Ben Knapton
