Like a lot of things in the world, football is becoming a luxury that many people can do without, but once in a while someone scores a goal that makes it worth paying the price of admission. With Arsenal leading 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium yesterday, Eduardo da Silva scored a goal that will tempt thousands of people to log on to YouTube this morning [you don't need to, here it is] to find out just what all the fuss is about.

It is the kind of strike that you can watch over and over again, a “How did he do that?” goal that Dennis Bergkamp would have been proud to score, that schoolboys will try to recreate in the playground. What made it more special was that Eduardo was playing for only the second time in the first team since breaking a leg and dislocating an ankle 13 months ago.

When Alexandre Song chipped the ball over the defence in the 51st minute, most strikers would have shot with their right foot, but Eduardo was born in Brazil and he improvised brilliantly to score with a volley using the outside of his left foot. “I don’t think I have seen a better goal this season,” Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, said. “It was the kind of goal you score on the beach — outside left into the top corner. He’s a very intelligent player and he meant it.”

Wenger has been so impressed with Eduardo’s attitude while he has worked his way back to full fitness since his career-threatening injuries, that he made him Arsenal’s eighth captain of the season yesterday.

“Giving him the armband was a tribute to his personality and to how well he has behaved in the last nine months,” Wenger said. “He has never complained. I didn’t expect him to come back like this.”

On another day the Arsenal supporters streaming out of the Emirates Stadium would have been talking about Carlos Vela’s opening goal or Emmanuel Eboué’s cool finish, which wrapped up the victory six minutes before time. Arsenal have been firing blanks at home in the Barclays Premier League recently but they spoilt their supporters yesterday with three exceptional goals.

Everything was going well for Burnley until Chris Eagles lost possession on the halfway line in the 25th minute, allowing Andrey Arshavin to release Vela with a clever pass. The Mexico forward nutmegged Clarke Carlisle, surged away from Joey Gudjonsson, who was trying to grab his shirt, before clipping the ball over Brian Jensen, the Burnley goalkeeper, with his left foot to score his fifth goal of the season.

Crucial tackles by Carlisle and Steven Caldwell prevented Wenger’s team from extending their lead before Eduardo’s wonder goal, and just when Arsenal supporters were starting to wonder whether their day could get any better, Theo Walcott came on for his first appearance in four months since dislocating a shoulder and Eboué scored.

The Ivory Cost midfield player has been reduced to tears by his club’s supporters this season but he gave them something to cheer when he lashed the ball past Jensen after a clever back-heel from Song. “When Eboué gets in front of goal he usually loses his composure,” Wenger said. “Some people convince themselves that they cannot score. Once they start to score they realise it is not as difficult as they imagine.”

Eboué is one of the players who is likely to lose his place when Arsenal travel to Rome to defend a 1-0 lead in the Champions League on Wednesday evening and Wenger got his priorities right by resting Manuel Almunia, Gaël Clichy, Denilson, Samir Nasri, Robin van Persie and Nicklas Bendtner before his team’s most important game of the season.

As Arsenal have dropped off the pace in the Premier League, Wenger has spent the past three months urging the club’s supporters to keep the faith until players such as Eduardo, Walcott, Cesc Fàbregas, Emmanuel Adebayor and Tomas Rosicky return from injury. After the goalless draw at home with Fulham nine days ago, some Arsenal fans were wondering whether Wenger had passed his sell-by date.

If Arsenal get the better of Roma on Wednesday and beat Blackburn Rovers at home on Saturday, they will be in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and the FA Cup, and back in fourth place in the Premier League. Arsène knows.

Arsenal (4-4-2): L Fabianski 6 - B Sagna 7, W Gallas 7, J Djourou 7, K Gibbs 7 - E Eboué 7, A Song 8, A Diaby 7, A Arshavin 7 - Eduardo da Silva 9, C Vela 8. Substitutes: R van Persie 6 (for Vela, 60min), A Ramsey (for Diaby, 71), T Walcott (for Eduardo, 71). Not used: M Almunia, G Clichy, N Bendtner, A Bischoff.

Burnley (4-3-3): B Jensen 6 - G Alexander 7, C Carlisle 6, S Caldwell 7, C Kalvenes 5 - K McDonald 5, J Gudjonsson 6, C McCann 6 - C Eagles 5, M Paterson 5, R Blake 6. Substitutes: W Elliott 5 (for Eagles, 53min), S Thompson 5 (for Gudjonsson, 58), A MacDonald (for McDonald, 75). Not used: D Penny, A Mahon, J Rodriguez, S Jordan.

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