**Burnley manager [Scott Parker](https://hayters.com/burnley-boss-scott-parker-says-arsenal-are-much-more-than-just-set-pieces/) hailed Arsenal as “a top, top team” with all the qualities of future champions after his side were beaten 2–0 at Turf Moor.**
First half goals from Viktor Gyokeres and [Declan Rice](https://hayters.com/declan-rice-probably-the-best-all-round-midfielder-in-world-football/) sealed the points for Mikel Arteta’s men, who controlled large parts of the game despite a spirited second half response from the Clarets.
“They’re just a very, very good team,” Parker admitted in his post-match press conference. “They’re a team who I believe have every single ingredient to go and win the league this year. In every facet of their game, defensively, attacking wise, set plays, they’re a top, top team. We just fell a little bit short today.”
Burnley started brightly but were undone by Arsenal’s clinical edge and set piece strength. “We started well but then their class shone through after their first goal,” said Parker. “We knew their set piece threat and it showed again today. They’ve got a mentality about them when they get a set piece and they took their chance well.”
The Burnley boss admitted his players were “a bit stunned” after conceding but praised their reaction after the break. “In the second half, I can’t fault us at all. It was a second half performance to be proud of. We showed real impetus, gave them a really good game but just fell a little bit short.”
Parker felt his side’s belief grew as the match went on. “In the first half, maybe we lacked some belief about us,” he said. “We caused Arsenal some real problems in the second half. I felt we had an edge and a confidence about us, and we’ll take positives from that.”
On the defensive side, Parker refused to criticise his players for Arsenal’s set piece success. “In set plays, you are relying on a lot of things,” he explained. “I don’t think there’s anything critical to say regarding our structure. Arsenal have got a mentality and a fear about them when they come into the box, there’s a real threat there, and we dealt with the majority of them.”
Despite the defeat, Parker insisted Burnley remain on track. “Our season won’t be defined on this result,” he said. “This team is going in the right direction. The boys have done incredibly well. We’ve come off the back of some tough fixtures, but we’ll keep improving and moving towards our goal.”