Football Preview | Burnley v Arsenal

Arsenal head to Burnley this weekend looking to maintain their lead at the top of the table.

The Gunners sit four points clear at the top, leading Bournemouth with Tottenham and Sunderland a further point behind.

Author | DJ

Stadium | Turf Moor

Burnley's recent win over Leeds United

As Liverpool’s struggles deepen, title talk in north London is beginning to intensify, with Mikel Arteta’s side looking increasingly formidable despite a series of injury setbacks in the early months of the season.

Team news for Arsenal

Martin Odegaard remains out with the knee injury he sustained against West Ham United earlier this month. The Arsenal captain was not expected to feature before the November international break, though Mikel Arteta has sounded optimistic about his recovery. However, the trip to Turf Moor this weekend is likely to come too soon for him.

Noni Madueke is also still unavailable as he continues his recovery from the knee problem suffered against Manchester City in September, with his return expected towards the end of November or early December.

Declan Rice and Riccardo Calafiori, who both came off in Sunday’s win over Crystal Palace, returned to the squad for Wednesday night’s EFL Cup victory over Brighton.

Arsenal v Brighton in EFL Cup

William Saliba and Gabriel Martinelli missed that game after picking up knocks last weekend. Saliba is still being assessed, while Martinelli is due to undergo further tests.

Updates from Arteta's press conference

When asked about whether Arsenal are favouries for the title, Arteta said: "It's a big opportunity that we have ahead of us, but we have to continue with this level of consistency. Tomorrow will be an extremely tough match for us, and we will have to hit those performance levels again to win the game."

He also said his side needs to "maintain the level of urgency", adding: "The concentration, the focus and the ambition we are showing in every game. Every game brings different challenges. Sometimes we have to be very patient; some of the time we have to have a different approach."

A look at the opposition

Burnley’s thrilling 3-2 victory over Wolves last time out moved them five points clear of the relegation zone and extended a promising attacking run, with the side having scored in each of their last six matches in all competitions.

Liverpool remain the only team to keep a clean sheet at Turf Moor this season, but Burnley face a formidable challenge if they are to upset the odds this weekend. They have not beaten the side starting the day top of the top flight since 1975, a near 50-year wait they will be eager to end.