Arsenal sends warning to Premier League rivals with dominant win to extend lead

Arsenal continued its title charge with a dominant display at Turf Moor, but there were some concerning signs for Mikel Arteta during the Gunners' win over Burnley

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Arsenal continued its early-season title charge with a comfortable win over Burnley at Turf Moor. Mikel Arteta's men extended their lead at the top of the Premier League with a 2-0 win over the Clarets, but Viktor Gyokeres prompted some worry as he was replaced at half-time.

Gyokeres opened the scoring when he nodded in from close range as Arsenal once again capitalized from a corner kick. Gabriel Magalhaes won the first ball before the striker cleaned up the play to get on the scoresheet.

The Gunners went on to take advantage of a Burnley set piece to extend their lead. Gyokeres was again involved as he drove the visitors forward on the break.

The Swede provided an incisive ball to Leandro Trossard, who crossed in for Declan Rice to head home.

Scott Parker's side were unable to muster a shot until the second half, as Arsenal looked equally accomplished in both attacking and defending. The north London side were comfortable but failed to add to their goal tally, reports the Mirror.

There may be some concerns for Arteta after Gyokeres was joined by Martin Zubimendi in being substituted. The Spaniard was down before being replaced by Christian Norgaard late in the game, returning to the dugout with a shake of the head.

Mirror Sports takes a look at the talking points to arise from Arsenal's latest victory.

Trust

Arsenal may have bolstered their squad depth over the summer, but manager Mikel Arteta remains committed to fielding his strongest lineup whenever feasible. Despite questions surrounding William Saliba's availability, the French defender was included in the starting XI against Burnley following Friday's training session, even for a match the north London club was favored to win.

"He was a doubt but he made it," Arteta said. "He trained yesterday and he's feeling well. We made changes in midweek but today we're back to the same team (as against Crystal Palace last week)."

The Carabao Cup rotation provided breathing room to avoid hurrying Saliba's return, allowing him proper preparation for his comeback at Turf Moor. With the league's top defensive pairing at his disposal, it's logical that Arteta wouldn't want to disrupt that chemistry.

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Set Piece FC

The Gunners delivered from a dead ball situation yet again, much to the delight of their supporters. Corner kicks now generate goal-like celebrations among Arsenal faithful, with their proficiency from these situations proving invaluable.

Rival grievances only amplify the satisfaction with each delivery, and on Saturday, the Gunners etched their name in the record books as the first Premier League team to net eight corner kick goals within the opening 10 matches of a campaign.

The statistics speak for themselves.

Gyokeres on fire

Arriving as Arsenal's marquee attacking acquisition in the summer transfer window has naturally placed Viktor Gyokeres under considerable examination. Elevated expectations followed his impressive goal-per-match ratio in Portugal's top flight.

While the finish wasn't particularly challenging, the former Coventry player will have been relieved to break a five-game Premier League goalless streak. The satisfaction of finding the back of the net will mean more than any acknowledgment of his overall play.

It was arguably the striker's strongest 45 minutes in Arsenal colors, making it unfortunate that he was substituted at halftime.

Title credentials

"We're still only in October. We just have to keep working, keep winning games, keep building momentum and see where it leaves us towards the back end of the season," said Bukayo Saka in a preview of the fixture.

Another victory will only fuel further speculation. The Gunners now sit nine points ahead of Manchester City and 10 points clear of reigning champions Liverpool, though they've played one additional match.

Yet Saka's assessment rings true - they're merely 10 fixtures into the campaign.

The quality of the win is arguably more noteworthy, though. "Arsenal were magnificent in the first half," said Alan Shearer.

"I can't see a weakness. They've scored again from a set-piece but there's been so much more than that in the performance."

The north Londoners appear to be genuine contenders.

Solid

The Gunners prevented Burnley from registering a single attempt in the first 45 minutes. Vincent Kompany's side showed more ambition after the interval but still couldn't test David Raya as they failed to register an effort on target.

It's perhaps not shocking that the Gunners are so tight-fisted, given that the last goal they conceded was against Newcastle over a month ago. Seven consecutive clean sheets, seven in 10 Premier League games speaks volumes.

As the saying goes, defenses win titles.