Another clean sheet, another set-piece goal and another Gabriel Magalhaes (ยฃ6.5m) haul: Arsenal’s latest victory, their ninth straight win in all competitions, was predictably routine.
Here are our Scout Notes from the Gunners’ 2-0 win at Burnley.
GYOKERES INJURY UPDATE AFTER “EXCEPTIONAL” DISPLAY
What hasn’t become standard practise is a Viktor Gyokeres (ยฃ9.0m) goal; he hadn’t scored in five league games before Saturday’s trip to Turf Moor.
But the Swede was in the right place at the right time to nod in Gabriel’s knock-back for yet another Arsenal set-piece goal. That’s their 10th in as many Gameweeks.
Some will cry ‘flat-track bully’ and that’s possibly fair comment. His four goals in 2025/26 have all come against sides in the bottom five.
But this was probably Gyokeres’ best all-round game of the season, with his link-up play as impressive as his poaching. Twice he set Bukayo Saka (ยฃ10.1m) away for big chances, while his cross-field pass resulted in Arsenal’s breakaway second goal.
Sod’s law, then, that he had to come off at half-time.
“We had to take him off because he was feeling a little niggle, muscular, so we’ll have to wait and see.
“Before that, I think it was one of the best games that he’s played. I think overall his performance was exceptional, a part of the [first] goal. ย
“Everything [about it]. His high press, his position, his touches, his threading behind, the way he linked play, the way he got us from this situation to transition moments. A lot. I think he was in a really good moment. It’s a shame that he felt something.” – Mikel Arteta
Arteta added that Martin Zubimendi (ยฃ5.5m) “asked to be subbed” with a muscular problem, too.
AND SAKA MUST SCORE!
Saka’s two openings may have not been Gordon Smith-level chances but they were certainly Opta-classified ‘big’ ones.
Twice the winger was clean through, and twice Martin Dubravka (ยฃ4.0m) repelled him. While the first effort was tame, Dubravka’s save for the second attempt was excellent.
You get no points for missed big chances in this game, of course. But the consolation is that he was at least getting in these goalscoring positions; his last open-play ‘big chance’ came in Gameweek 2.
RICE RISES
Declan Rice (ยฃ6.7m) is now second in the FPL midfielders’ points table, having nodded in his sixth attacking return of the season. Leandro Trossard (ยฃ6.9m), starting his sixth straight league match and earlier seeing a shot cleared off the line, provided the assist.
That was only Rice’s fourth shot in the box of 2025/26, so we’re not expecting the goals to flow.
He is, however, a superb corner-taker, and it was from his whipped delivery that Gabriel nodded on for Gyokeres to score. Rice is Arsenal’s leading chance creator this season, with 17.
The England midfielder bagged defensive contribution (DefCon) points for the third time in this campaign (all away from home), too.
Above: Rice smashed the 12-contribution threshold on Saturday, recording not far off double that
ANOTHER CLEAN SHEET AS DEFENDERS THREATEN AGAIN
David Raya (ยฃ5.8m) didn’t muddy his gloves as Arsenal secured their seventh clean sheet of the season. In fact, he’s only had one save to make in the last four Gameweeks.
The Gunners conceded just three shots all game, with the final one being the last kick of the match: a Marcus Edwards (ยฃ4.7m) free-kick that hit the post. Luis Florentino (ยฃ5.0m) was deemed to have had a ‘big chance’ with a header but in truth, he was reaching for the ball behind him. It would have required Haaland-level neck-craning to get that one on target.
Clean sheets clearly mean a lot to Arteta’s side. The Arsenal boss pointed out a passage of play in stoppage time, when the entire Gunners side pelted back from a corner to stop a Burnley breakaway.
“Well, I think, again, the spirit is an action at the end, after a corner from Declan that Ethan doesn’t win the duel there and you see 10 players sprinting 80 metres. I mean, we play with that desire, with that focus, with that discipline. We’ll win a lot of games.” – Mikel Arteta
While Raya’s ceiling is often six points, the defenders in front of him offer extras. Gabriel claimed another attacking return, while he collected DefCon points for the fourth time in 2025/26. Few defenders have managed that against Burnley.
Above: Gabriel averages 9.5 defensive contributions per match this season
Jurrien Timber (ยฃ6.1m) and Riccardo Calafiori (ยฃ5.8m) popped up in excellent goalscoring positions in the Burnley box, too.
It was another early withdrawal for Calafiori, his seventh of 2025/26 (no defender has been subbed off more). As Captain Mal points out, it’s good for banking clean sheet points but not so much for the add-ons.
CREDIT FOR BURNLEY AS FOSTER ABSENCE EXPLAINED
While Arsenal dominated in the first half on Saturday, credit to Burnley for fighting back.
They may not have landed many punches against their visitors but they limited the league leaders to four low-xG efforts in the second half.
They’ve been particularly effective on home soil, conceding just four goals in five fixtures at Turf Moor.
Axel Tuanzebe (ยฃ3.9m), FPL’s joint-cheapest starting defender, registered DefCon points for the second time in four appearances.
There was no Lyle Foster (ยฃ5.0m), with the striker missing out through illness.
