THE last time we won at Arsenal was in September 1974.

Peter Noble scored right in front of me 12 minutes from time in a Division One fixture, which of course was then the top tier. Forty years ago, little over 25,000 attended.

The reason I remember this game so distinctly was because the end where ‘Ewe’ netted, and where I was stood, just happened to be the North Bank, Highbury, Arsenal’s home terracing.

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I was there incognito to ensure a quick getaway to Finsbury Park Station located nearer to this part of the ground, or that was the plan.

Unfortunately, in one of those ‘Hamlet’ cigar moments, as what turned out to be the only goal of the match went in, I punched the air in celebration completely forgetting where I was stood.

It meant an inevitable kicking all the way back to the Underground departure point.

I would have taken the same punishment on Saturday for an identical outcome, but it would have been far more of a shock result as Burnley finished above Arsenal that particular season.

That is the stark reality of the then and now, and if further proof were needed of the gulf between the two teams it could be found in the matchday programme as the Gunners face the likes of Anderlecht, Borussia Dortmund and Galatasaray soon.

That said, the Clarets put up a dogged resistance for near on 70 minutes before £35m Alexis Sanchez somehow managed to outjump two of our defenders to open the scoring.

So three more conceded, and yet all those 3,000 Burnley fans that made the trip, which must be the most we’ve ever taken to Arsenal in a league match, all know that if it wasn’t for the splended intervention of Tom Heaton on several occasions the score could have been doubled.

Realistically, we are not going to get the points to stay up against such pedigree performers.

However, our next five matches are against teams currently positioned in the lower half of the table.

These are our bread and butter games, and Hull City our opponents at the Turf on Saturday are an outfit we have generally beaten in recent times no matter what their status.

That is why with the same application as shown at the Emirates I believe Burnley will at last get those elusive victories.