Burnley knew all too well about the threat Arsenal posed from set plays as the Gunners have been prolific from them this term, but inside the opening 15 minutes, the Clarets had succumbed to the seemingly inevitable.
A deep corner to the far post was kept alive by Gabriel, affording former Burnley transfer target Viktor Gyökeres the simplest of tasks to head home from inside the six-yard box.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was all one-way traffic in the first half, and it ought to have been 2-0 to Arsenal when Maxime Estève’s defensive mix-up allowed Bukayo Saka to race clear on goal, but a smart Martin Dúbravka save low to his right kept the hosts in the game.
Saka was soon duelling with Dúbravka again, but once more it was the Slovakian who came out on top, producing a fine one-handed save to deny him before Leandro Trossard’s effort on the follow-up was cleared off the line by Axel Tuanzebe.
Trossard wasn’t too fazed by that disappointment and instead channelled it into setting up Mikel Arteta’s side’s second goal of the afternoon, delivering an inch-perfect cross into the area which was steered into the corner by the head of Declan Rice.
Arteta’s HT decision to withdraw Gyökeres was probably welcomed by Burnley boss Scott Parker as it meant one less star Arsenal attacker to deal with.
But to have any chance of getting back into the game, they were going to have to find something special in the final third themselves. A double change to bring on two attack-minded players didn’t really have the desired effect for the hosts, who saw the 70-minute mark pass them by without attempting a single shot.
Their first sight of goal arrived in the 73rd minute, when Estève’s far post header found Florentino six yards from goal, but he couldn’t keep his header down.
That was one of few sightings Burnley had of goal throughout the game, and they were fortunate not to fall even further behind 10 minutes from time when Ethan Nwaneri curled an effort inches wide of the post.
The Clarets never looked likely to trouble Arsenal’s lead and were powerless to avoid seeing their two-match winning run come to a halt. It could prove to be a monumental day in the title race for Arsenal, who moved seven points clear the the summit ahead of Liverpool’s game later this evening.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Declan Rice (Arsenal)