EPL: Sanchez wins it late for 10-man Arsenal

Alexis Sanchez struck with virtually the last kick of the game as 10-man Arsenal toiled to a 2-1 win against a valiant Burnley in Sunday’s Premier League clash at Emirates Stadium.

• Arsenal 2 Burnley 1
• Mustafi heads in Ozil’s corner
• Xhaka sees red
• Gray equalises from the spot
• Sanchez seals it late for Gunners

Match summary

Arsenal were dominant for most of the game and Olivier Giroud, Mesut Ozil, Alex Iwobi and Laurent Koscielny all had chances to score. Burnley were effective on the break as Ashley Barnes and Andre Gray tested Petr Cech.

The Gunners hit the front when Shkodran Mustafi headed home but Granit Xhaka’s subsequent sending off changed the tide of the game. In injury time, Gray scored from the spot after Ashley Barnes was fouled.

However, there was even later drama as Alexis Sanchez scored from the spot after Laurent Koscielny was fouled.

Full Report

It was Arsenal who predictably took control and they nearly hit the front early when Olivier Giroud’s header from Alexis Sanchez’s cross made Tom Heaton work in Burnley’s goal. Yet, the visitors nearly took a shock lead when Ashley Barnes got on the end of Matthew Lowton’s cross at the near post but Petr Cech made a good save in the 13th minute.

A minute later the Gunners hit back as Mesut Ozil forced Heaton into a stunning save as he clawed away a curling effort into the corner. The home team were on top and Alex Iwobi and Laurent Koscielny both had chances but were wasteful in their finishing.

However, the Clarets were not sitting back and Barnes then called Cech into action with a rasping drive in the 16th minute. Arsene Wenger’s men were dominating possession but it wasn’t until just before the break when they should have taken the lead. Sanchez controlled the ball inside the box from a corner, cut inside and curled his effort just wide of the post.

After the interval, Aaron Ramsey had two chances to score as he got on the end of a cross from Ozil but it struck Giroud. Moments later he got on the end of Giroud’s knock down but fired over. In the 50th minute Sanchez again fizzed an effort just over after picking the ball up on the right.

After a penalty appeal was earlier turned down after Shkodran Mustafi went down, the pressure paid off when the German headed home from Ozil’s corner in the 59th minute. Yet, the contest turned when Granit Xhaka was sent off in the 62nd minute for a lunge on Steven Defour. With Burnley getting more of the ball, Andre Gray would go close to finding an equaliser.

Arsenal would catch Burnley on the break in the closing stages as Hector Bellerin nearly set up Danny Welbeck to score, before Francis Coquelin forced Heaton into a save. Burnley thought they had stolen a point when Coquelin fouled Barnes in the area and Gray converted from the spot in the 93rd minute.

The drama was not over though when in the final seconds of injury time when Ben Mee was adjudged to have fouled Koscielny and Sanchez confidently put away the penalty.