Arsenal vs Burnley recap, highlights and analysis from tense affair

Arsenal and Burnley both proved up to the task in an incredibly tense affair that wasn’t decided until the very last minute via a penalty to the Gunners.

Arsenal knew the task at hand when they stepped out onto the pitch at Turf Moor. Last year, home and away, it took a last minute goal to spare the Gunners from draws. This year, Burnley is even better. Level on points and with a defense that is even stouter at home, the visitors were immediately behind the eight-ball with Mesut Ozil “waking up too ill to play.”

The match began in Burnley’s favor. Pressure was poured on the Gunners, particularly through lofted balls into the box, where the hosts clearly pegged themselves to have an advantage. However, Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny were up to the task and they warded off the threats.

The first real chance came when Icelandic midfielder Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson thumped a ball off the inside post.

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Momentum was heavily in Burnley’s favor, but Arsenal nicked a supreme chance when, on the break, Alexandre Lacazette swung in a ball that Aaron Ramsey met first-time, sending it unfortunately over the goal.

The momentum swung in the Gunner’s favor in the 30th minute, as it tends to do, and the visitors were allowed to play ball for a bit, although, yet again, nothing came of it.

It was a physical, entertaining first half with plenty of chances, but the teams would go into the tunnels 0-0.

The second half was almost all Arsenal. They took the fight to Burnley and continued to threaten their defense throughout the span of the last 45. Still nothing managed to break down the organized, composed Burnley defense.

It was clear that Sean Dyche opted for different tactics by necessity in the second half, as his side went into a counter-attacking shell, allowing the Gunners to come at them while trying to strike on the break. Chances were coming on both sides, but through the 90, the match remained scoreless.

As has been the case with these two teams, though, a level score through 90 is rarely ever the entire story, and yet again, this proved to be the case.

In the final minute of stoppage time, Lee Mason awarded a penalty to Arsenal (yeah, really) and Alexis Sanchez slotted it home for the winner. Have a look:

Call it controversial if you want, I don’t care. Justice is finally being served. And thanks to that dollop of justice, Arsenal move up past Spurs and into fourth place, their comfy home of so many years.