Paul Merson said ‘efficient machine’ Arsenal ‘look unbeatable’ after a routine Premier League win over Burnley.
First-half goals from Viktor Gyokeres and Declan Rice earned Arsenal a fifth successive Premier League victory and a ninth successive win in all competitions.
Mikel Arteta’s side have only conceded three goals this season and the clean sheet at Turf Moor was Arsenal’s seventh in a row – one short of the club’s all-time record.
The win sent Arsenal seven points clear of second-placed Bournemouth before their intriguing clash with Manchester City on Sunday.
Merson says Arsenal’s sensational form is ‘not a good cocktail’ for the other title hopefuls and even said his former team ‘look unbeatable’.
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Rice was singled out for special praise by Merson, who described his performance against Burnley as ‘phenomenal’.
‘At the moment, Arsenal look unbeatable,’ Merson said on Sky Sports.
‘They defend so well. Apart from the free-kick that hit the post with the last kick, Burnley never looked like scoring.
‘Everything that comes into the box is cleared. They head everything and they have two defenders that want to defend, and two full backs that want to stop crosses.
‘Then there’s Declan Rice. He wouldn’t have been far off a 10 out of 10 against Burnley. He just doesn’t stop all game. It was a phenomenal performance.
‘My only worry for Arsenal is they looked a completely different side when Viktor Gyokeres was forced off. They were nowhere near the same team.
‘Mikel Merino came on and he knitted the play together well but they never really got up the pitch and threatened in the second half.
‘But right now they are a well-oiled machine with a lot of talent in that machine, and that is very unusual.
‘They are an efficient machine but have so much talent. That is not a good cocktail for everyone else.’
Gunners boss Arteta was full of praise for his Arsenal team after they extended their lead at the top of the Premier League table.
‘The first half was exceptional, we scored two goals and gave nothing away, so that was the platform,’ he said.
‘We had to make a few changes and didn’t have that much control in the second half. Our defending was exceptional again, we didn’t give anything away.
‘There is a reason they [Burnley] have lost one game [at home] in 18 months, and that was against Liverpool in the last second of the game.’
While Arsenal’s title charge continues, Burnley’s first defeat in three games leaves Scott Parker’s side 17th in the Premier League – four points above the relegation zone.
Fellow newly-promoted side Sunderland are Arsenal’s next Premier League opponents while Burnley face struggling West Ham.
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