Another win, another step towards our title

I think we had all expected to see Burnley leave the Emirates in the kind of disarray that has taken over the Chelsea dressing room, but we saw a typical Arsenal home game against a smaller team. We could have recorded the biggest win in league history, but we came just as close to finishing with a draw. Still, three points and a couple of goals for the goal difference - we're very much in the title race.

We were looking very comfortable on the ball, and Ramsey's injury had clearly motivated the team. Again, we finished with about two-thirds of possession and enough shots to floor Sir Alex Ferguson, and some excellent passing moves demanded to be capped with a goal. Most teams would be happy to finish a game with three goals, although most teams aren't capable of scoring ten.

Cesc's goal was absolutely brilliant, and is surely in the running for goal of the month. A wonderful chip from Nasri in what had looked like an unthreatening position, a great tacit understanding from Cesc to start a run, a wonderful finish by the Spaniard underneath Brian Jensen. As for Cesc's injury, it has come at a horrible time, but if Wenger's post-match press conference was anything to go by he has a decent chance of playing against Porto.

The Burnley goal was a strange one, in that there was almost as much fortune on Burnley's part as there was some sort of stupor upon our defence. There was a gaping chasm between Vermaelen and Silvestre - more importantly, the Frenchman didn't really show any signs of a reaction to the long ball up to David Nugent until after the subsequent kick-off had been taken - and most of our central players deserved collective blame for pushing up as one when the clearance was going straight towards the feet of an opposition player. However, had Burnley taken their chance to equalise with the scoreline at 2-1, that goal would have been far worse to concede - good authority on Almunia's part to come out to collect the corner, shocking strength on Almunia's part to be shoved aside, limply flail his wrists at the ball and leave his goal completely exposed.

Theo Walcott will have given his critics something to think about with a great performance. The winger reponded to Chris Waddle's completely unconstructive claim that he 'lacks a football brain' with some smart passes and a pinpoint cross which Bendtner should have put away, and he made up for missing out on at least two deserved assists by netting a well-taken goal on his weaker foot. I was also pleased to see him show some fighting spirit when he completely flipped at Danny Fox for an aggressive challenge with his studs showing, although his opponent did win the ball and technically it seemed legal. I'm not sure what the goal celebration was about, but I'm assuming that the fact he was pointing to an imaginary wristwatch having scored in the 60th minute was something to do with his substitution against Egypt in midweek in the 57th minute - any other theories or news on that would be most welcome.

Less than a week after I insisted with that regrettably memorable phrase 'mark my words' that, fitness allowing, this will be Nicklas Bendtner's season, to say I was disappointed with his peculiar display yesterday afternoon may be an understatement. Unmissable chance after unmissable chance, Adebayor flashback after Adebayor flashback.

But I stand by what I said. He scored in each of the three games preceding yesterday's, and he's certainly looking sharp after all that time on the sidelines. Two of those goals were quality headers, and I maintain that his aerial threat will be important for us over the next couple of months. Remember, at Bendtner's age Didier Drogba was a complete unknown in the French second tier who had only just made his first team debut - and who would lose his place to Daniel Cousin the next season. And at that age, Thierry Henry was no striker.

Three points, both Diaby and Arshavin back to fitness, and our English prodigy back on form... bring on Tuesday.