MARTIN Paterson believes Burnley are capable of adding Arsenal to their list of Premier League scalps this season.

The Clarets have already dispatched both Fulham and Chelsea to reach the quarter-final of the Carling Cup.

And Paterson admits they won't be fazed when Arsene Wenger’s talented young Gunners arrive at Turf Moor tomorrow night.

“It will be enjoyable to come up against some of their players, but we’ll be giving it a really good go,” insisted Burnley’s leading scorer.

“It’s a game of football and anything can happen. We’ve got to be professional and turn up and work hard first and foremost, because if you don’t work hard against Arsenal they’re going to pass through you and make you look silly. We don’t want them to come here and do that to us.

“Going away to somewhere as massive as Chelsea was a great experience, but we weren’t there to enjoy it and to rub shoulders with them, we were there to beat them, and it will be the same tomorrow.

“We’re not there to take people’s shirts and be glad to have played against them - we are aiming to get into the semi-finals of the Carling Cup.”

And Paterson is revelling in a rich vein of form, after scoring four goals in the last two games, including a brace in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Derby County to stretch the Clarets’ unbeaten home run to 11 games.

Manager Owen Coyle chose to rest the Northern Ireland international after feeling a relentless run of games in the first three months of the season had left his record signing jaded.

And Paterson acknowledged a masterstroke by the Burnley boss.

“I didn’t feel fatigued, but sometimes as a young lad you don’t really know yourself and you’re not experienced enough to know when you are fatigued,” he said.

“The gaffer’s looked at my games and thought ‘he’s a bit tired’. Some people don’t realise how much football I’d played, and going away with the international team I didn’t have the same time off as everyone else. I was going away training every day, playing parts of the game or playing games, coming back on the (Friday) morning, training again and going straight to a football game.

“It’s not easy going away and then coming straight back and playing as well. I think I notched up a lot of games in a couple of months, so it’s a good move from the gaffer and it’s worked.

“Again his man-management and his experience has shone through again, and he was right.”

He added: “When you’re not playing it softens the blow because he’s not doing it as a bad thing, he’s doing it as the best thing for you and for the club as well.

“Obviously you’re angry you’re not playing, but you’re working hard and you’ve just got to wait for your chance, and hopefully I’ve done enough to keep my shirt.

“As a goalscorer, you sometimes have to wait for a little run, but I’ve had two great games now.”

Nevertheless, Paterson revealed he wasn’t completely satisfied with a return of 11 goals in all competitions.

“I think I should have more at this stage,” he said.

“I was talking the other day with my dad and saying I think I should be on a lot more than I am, but I’m not Kaka so I can’t score every time.

“I’m reasonably happy with it, but I’m not fulfilled.”