Arsenal go four clear, home comforts at last for Burnley

LONDON : Arsenal took the chance to open up a four-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday and Burnley finally earned some home points with a hammering of Sheffield United.

Early goals by Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard put Arsenal in control against Wolves but Mikel Arteta's side had to withstand a late rally by the visitors at The Emirates.

Arsenal now hold their largest lead of the table since April when they were five clear of eventual champions Manchester City.

Arteta needs no reminding of how that title race panned out with his side ultimately collapsing, but his side are again showing the consistency to sustain a long title challenge.

They have 33 points from 14 games with City on 29 points ahead of their home clash with injury-hit Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. Liverpool and Aston Villa, who have 28 points, are also in action on Sunday against Fulham and Bournemouth respectively.

"It's been a good week with some good results. We're there at the top and we have to keep improving and keep pushing," Arsenal skipper Odegaard said. "The schedule is tough, but almost the whole season is tough."

Burnley could hardly have had a better opportunity to register their first points at Turf Moor since gaining promotion and they took it in emphatic fashion, their 5-0 win the joint best by a side starting the day bottom of the Premier League.

Vincent Kompany's side, the only one in the top four divisions without a home point, needed only 15 seconds to take the lead as Charlie Taylor's cross was glanced in by Jay Rodriguez. Jacob Bruun Larsen made it 2-0 before Sheffield United's Oli McBurnie was sent off on the stroke of halftime after his second yellow card for an elbow.

Zek