Francis Coquelin shines as resilient Arsenal show fighting qualities to beat Burnley

THE accusation has long been that Arsene Wenger’s team lack mettle, that they do not possess the fighting spirit to get themselves over the line when it matters.

Victorious Arsenal showed character - Wenger [AMBIENT]

A return of one trophy in nine seasons supports that theory but maybe, just maybe, times are changing for the Gunners.

No one is saying this crop are as good as Arsenal’s last great side – The Invincibles team of 2003-04 – but there are encouraging signs.

Victory over Burnley made it eight league wins in a row for the first time since that glorious season and Arsenal are in a strong position to finish above third for the first time since 2005.

The manner of the victory was also telling.

Seven days after dismantling top-four rivals Liverpool with some sumptuous stuff, this win at Turf Moor was one made of grit and graft.

Even Aaron Ramsey’s goal – his ninth of the season in his 150th appearance – was scrappy. A poor clearance from Burnley captain Jason Shackell gave the ball away to the excellent Francis Coquelin and he acted quickly to set up an attack.

Alexis Sanchez saw a shot blocked before Mesut Ozil’s follow-up drive was saved by Tom Heaton but Ramsey was on hand to sweep the ball into the net.

After that, Arsenal looked more concerned with looking after their lead and striker Oliver Giroud was rarely involved.

Not that he was complaining.

“You can’t play your best football every game,” said Giroud. “We tried to be focused on not conceding and it’s one more clean sheet.

“As long as we were winning the game, I don’t think we were in too much danger. We were really pleased.

“It was a tough game for us and we were a bit lucky. We did well to score early the game because it was pretty hard for us.

“Burnley play with a lot of determination and it was a big fight. It was a big win for us.”

Burnley, fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table, created good chances of their own but could not apply the killer touch.

Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina dived to push away Kieran Tripper’s free-kick and then held Danny Ings’s acrobatic effort after Scott Arfield’s chipped through-ball.

“Sometimes you cannot always win 3-1 or 4-1 or 5-1,” said Wenger. “In the season as well you have to be capable as well to win 1-0 and I am glad we can do that as well.

“We are already in a position that nobody believed possible one month ago for us so we just focus on ourselves and see where we stand at the end of the season.

“I would just remind you that we won a championship without losing a game. We are the only one who has done that. Nobody else has done that.

Aaron RamseyReuters

Aaron Ramsey smashes home the winner

“We prepare always but people forget that we had big players out for four months and at some stages six or seven players from the squad completely out so that made a big difference.”

Victory would have lifted Burnley out of the bottom three for the first time since February.

“It just wouldn’t fall for us,” said striker Ashley Barnes. “We had a couple of those occasions. It was taking that extra touch and losing it and then they keep the ball for fun. We found that difficult.

“I think we were unlucky. If a couple of those just bobble to you or we make the right decisions in the final third, then maybe we go on and get a point.

“We take everything we can from these games. People don’t expect us to win but look at the Man City game, we turned them over (Burnley won 1-0).

“If we could have got something it would have been a bonus but we get cracking again next week at Everton.”

Burnley (4-4-2): Heaton 7, Trippier 6, Shackell 5, Duff 6, Mee 7; Boyd 6, Arfield 6, Jones 7 (Taylor, 90), Barnes 6; Ings 6, Vokes 6. Bookings: Duff, Mee.

Up next: Everton (a), Premier League, Saturday

Arsenal (4-1-4-1): Ospina 7; Bellerin 5, Koscielny 7, Mertesacker 7, Monreal 6; Coquelin 8; Ozil 6, Ramsey 6, Cazorla 6, Sanchez 6 (Chambers 90); Giroud 5 (Welbeck 82).

Goal: Ramsey 12.

Up next: Reading (at Wembley), FA Cup semi-final, Saturday.

STAT OF THE GAME: Aaron Ramsey has been involved in five goals in his last four Premier League games.

Referee: Mike Dean 7 (Cheshire).

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