Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta assesses Gunners' title hopes after Burnley win

Mikel Arteta applauds Arsenal's fans after the Gunners' 5-0 win at Burnley in February 2024.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has opened up the Gunners' Premier League title hopes after their 5-0 win at Burnley on Saturday.

Martin Odegaard gave Arsenal the lead after four minutes at Turf Moor and Bukayo Saka made it 2-0 from the penalty spot shortly before the break.

Saka scored again two minutes into the second half, before goals from Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz rounded off a big win.

Speaking to the BBC after the match, Arteta said: "We are really pleased because it is a difficult place to come and Burnley have been very competitive in the big games they have played so far this season.

"Today we managed to break them down early in the game and made it look a little more comfortable but they are a team which digs in so much.

"Individually and collectively, the purpose they are playing with, the form the players are in, even at 3-0 4-0 they want more. The way they track back at 96 minutes tells you how they are feeling."

And on Arsenal's title hopes, he said: "It’s about maintaining momentum now. We are generating competition within the squad. They are a joy to work with, the way they train every day and apply themselves, and how they want to improve. They want more – that's the good thing.

"At the moment all we can do is win our games and after our big two wins away from home we have a tough one in the Champions League at Porto.

"I hope we can do it [win the title] because we are there but it is about consistency and you see the standards of the other teams. We want it, that’s for sure."

More Arsenal stories

Arsenal should consider 'giving up' two key players in order to sign Kylian Mbappe, says one ex-Premier League star.

Meanwhile, the Gunners continue to be linked with Brentford and England frontman Ivan Toney.

And the North London giants could offload a first-team player they signed only 18 months ago...

Ben Hayward
Weekend editor

Ben Hayward is a European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.