3 standout players from Arsenal's impressive 2-0 Premier League win over Burnley

Fans saw two different versions of Arsenal on Saturday as the Gunners fought their way to a 2-0 win over Burnley.

To begin, there was a champion-like strut from the league leaders, brimful of confidence and sure of their own abilities to put the Clarets to the sword; it led to a fabulous first 45 minutes, at the end of which they should have been out of sight.

The second saw a more arduous effort, one where the visitors – perhaps knocked off stride by injury concerns for Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi – opted to depend on their unrivalled defensive nous rather than their attacking flair to seal the three points.

Either way, there was something in this match for everyone to enjoy and it brought the best out of a star-studded, multitalented Arsenal cast.

Here are the three standout players from a two-sided Gunners win.

1. Declan Rice

It is hardly surprising to see Rice thrive, but he produced a truly world-class display here and it simply must be applauded.

Observers got to see the full range of his talents: making vital tackles in midfield, his marauding runs to get the team up the pitch and a touch of the sublime around the box, whether that be via his set-piece threat or an eye for goals.

The stats back it all up, with Rice ending the game with the most tackles (5), most final-third entries (9) and most possessions won (9) (all stats courtesy of Squawka). He was just sensational in all parts of his game and he formed a huge part of the reason why Arsenal won here.

In a nutshell, Rice is cooking.

2. Viktor Gyokeres

At the other end of the scale, fans might have been surprised by Viktor Gyokeres on Saturday after a few quiet matches of late.

His supporters point to his all-round efforts and that impact was clear to see at Turf Moor. The Swede made a big difference thanks to excellent hold-up play and tireless work in leading the Arsenal press, while the goal he scored – though welcomed – was probably the least impressive part of his brilliant afternoon.

One might say the goal will cheer him up but, even at his lowest ebb, Gyokeres has never looked like a man short of self-belief. His all-round contributions have already drawn the praise of Mikel Arteta before and it would seem that, today, it finally earned the plaudits and respect of the wider Gunners fanbase.

No doubt he will keep it up.

3. Gabriel

Is Gabriel ever not a standout?

Like Gyokeres, there will likely be much talk of his latest offensive offering even if it was arguably the least eye-catching aspect of his display.

What did stand out was his ever-faultless defensive work, something which really came to the fore in the second half. Even if it featured few heart-in-mouth moments, the second 45 minutes involved a lot of defending/containment as Arsenal chose to sit on their lead rather than try to extend it, and it was Gabriel who revelled in it most.

The Brazil international did well to stay on his feet as Burnley players strode into the box on occasion and threw himself at the ball to clear a few crosses. Beyond that, the Clarets’ threat was nullified via good backline organisation as opposed to heroic, last-ditch defending but that calm, controlled form of stopping Burnley also proved very effective – an effort led by the imperious Gabriel.

He loved to defend, and the fans in turn love him for it.