ASHLEY Barnes feels like he belongs in the Premier League after starting the new season on fire with three goals in the opening two games.
Burnley's number 10 equalised on Saturday at the Emirates Stadium on the stroke of half-time, the Clarets fell to a 2-1 defeat but the striker believes his side can be proud of their performance.
Barnes' two-year-daughter is the one to take the credit for his new celebration revealed the striker.
"I think the performance was there it was maybe just a couple of errors leading up to the goal on our point of view," said Barnes.
"Just a few errors a long the way and it led to their goal.
"We felt up for it. We did all we could and maybe just that final bit of quality to hurt them let us down in the end. They’re a good side, there’s no doubt about it.
"We gave it a good shot, but it wasn’t to be today.
"We tried to work hard, and we tried to give it our all. We just kept pushing and pushing, but we couldn’t get that second goal."
Barnes scored twice against Southampton and added another to his tally at Arsenal - the striker says he feels fitter and stronger every season that goes by.
"It’s a fantastic achievement for myself. I just need to keep going and keep scoring and get us up the league as quickly as possible," he added.
"It’s a team game and if I’ve not got my team mates to help me out then I can’t score them goals.
"That’s what we are here, we’re a team, we’re one and hopefully I can help by scoring the goals.
"Without a doubt, I’m feeling fitter and stronger every season I go into it and that’s all I can do. I feel really good at the moment and as long as I can keep scoring, who knows."
Barnes has now made 138 appearances in England's top-flight and feels like this is the level he should always be at.
"I feel like I deserve this chance, luckily, I’ve had quite a few seasons in the Premier League now," Barnes said.
"This is where I belong, and this is where I want to be.
"Every season I go into it I set a new target that it has to be better than the last one and I want to build on that.
"I’ve got off to a good start now and, we’ve only had two games, but it is obviously a positive for me to take and we’ll get to Christmas and see how many I can get before then.
"It’s amazing the competition we have, it’s probably the best group of lads I’ve had since I’ve been here.
"There are lads that have been left at home doing extra work, injured. They’ve got to come back and it’s pushing us on to achieve a higher level."
The 29-year-old has a new celebration that we have seen three times this season, Barnes credited his daughter for it.
"My daughter gave it to me. I told her that I’d use it, so I’ll keep using that, it seems to be a lucky one at the moment, it’s not doing to be bad at the moment is it?" added the striker.
"I don’t know how she does it, her fingers go weird, she can do it better than me. She’s loving it now; she’s just realising where Daddy is on the pitch."
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