Parker crowns Arsenal the real deal after Turf Moor bruising

Scott Parker has seen enough. After his Burnley side were handled 2-0 by Arsenal at Turf Moor — with Viktor Gyökeres and Declan Rice applying the finishing touches — the Clarets boss didn’t mince his words. In his eyes, Mikel Arteta’s men are the full package and the team to beat in this title race.

Parker’s verdict: Arsenal look the most complete

Parker’s assessment was unequivocal: Arsenal are strong across the board — off the ball, on it, and from dead balls. He’s faced the lot this season and still came away purring about the league leaders’ balance and bite. In short: Arsenal have every ingredient to win the league. That wasn’t a throwaway line; it was the view of a manager fresh from the touchline reality.

Set-piece supremacy and ruthless detail

What really struck Parker was the Gunners’ threat from set pieces. The delivery is laser-precise — back post when it’s called for, front post when the runs demand it — and the timing is bang on. With heavyweights like Gabriel and William Saliba charging in, you can see why teams struggle to live with them. It’s not just talent; it’s drilled detail and physical commitment in those moments that decide tight games.

Burnley’s brutal run and a lesson in levels

Let’s be fair to Burnley: they’ve had a torrid schedule. Parker’s men have already gone toe-to-toe with Tottenham and Manchester United, and they’ve worn a couple of results from the big guns — edged 1-0 by Liverpool and hit 5-1 by Manchester City. Arsenal were a different kind of examination: relentless control, set-piece menace, and the kind of maturity that keeps you penned in for long spells.

Parker spoke about trying to wrestle more control than in previous clashes with the elite — finding a way to be a threat without losing structure. There were flickers, but when the league leaders turn the screw, Burnley’s margin for error vanishes. That’s the gap they’re trying to bridge.

Title picture: Arsenal out in front

The upshot is clear: Arsenal sit seven points clear at the summit, with nearest chasers Bournemouth set to meet Manchester City on Sunday. Momentum matters, and right now the North Londoners have it. Punters scanning the best betting sites will have noticed the market shifting their way, and it’s hard to argue with that after another composed away win.

Liverpool and City won’t go quietly, but Arsenal’s blend of defensive steel, set-piece bite and calm in the big moments is the sort of cocktail that wins titles. Gyökeres finds the net, Rice runs the show — and the rest of the league can feel the gears turning.

For Burnley, there’s at least a breather from the division’s heavyweights on the horizon. For Arsenal, there’s the unmistakable look of a side that knows exactly what it’s doing from August to May — and a manager who’s convinced everyone else of it, too.