Sanchez lifts Arsenal up to second

An injury-time penalty from Alexis Sanchez gave 10-man Arsenal a last-gasp 2-1 win over Burnley at the Emirates.

Shkodran Mustafi's first goal for the Gunners on 57 minutes looked like it would be enough to clinch a vital victory against Sean Dyche's side but a spot-kick from Andre Gray in the third minute of added time looked like snatching a point for the Clarets.

Not long after the hosts had taken the lead, the Gunners had been dealt a blow when Granit Xhaka received his second straight red card of the season - both from referee Jon Moss - for a lunge on Steven Defour, although the decision was a little on the harsh side and a yellow would probably have been an appropriate punishment.

Needing the three points to leapfrog neighbours Tottenham Hotspur into second place and keep table-toppers Chelsea within reach, it looked like Gray's late penalty, which came after a series of long balls into the Arsenal box had made a late leveller look a real possibility, courtesy of Francis Coquelin chopping down Ashley Barnes inside the box, would deny Arsenal the win.

But in the eighth additional minute, Barnes was adjudged to have fouled Laurent Koscielny at the back post as the defender attempted to head in Sanchez's deep cross; the Burnley player's foot was high and dangerous and after a long pause, Moss pointed to the spot.

Sanchez was the coolest man in the stadium as he held his nerve and chipped the ball down the middle of the goal as Tom Heaton dived to his right.

Dyche and a number of his players protested after the final whistle and while the penalty may have been given after a long delay, the decision was correct and after Xhaka's harsh dismissal, the visitors cannot have any complaints overall about how the match was handled by Moss and his team.

While Arsene Wenger will be thrilled that his side - who are often accused of being soft-centred and lacking in resilience - grabbed yet another decisive late goal, he will be worried at another reckless challenge from summer signing Xhaka who, though he was harshly given a red, gave the referee the chance to send him off with a stupid tackle.

That is for another day however, with the battling three points won despite the numerical disadvantage, a reason for Wenger, his players and their supporters to feel immensely satisfied.

For Burnley, the fortuitous draw at Old Trafford remains the only occasion they have avoided defeat on the road this campaign.

Photo: Getty Images/Julian Finney

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