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It was the Alexis Sanchez show once again as Arsenal’s new superstar netted two goals to inspire Arsenal to a 3-0 win at the Emirates stadium.
Alexis’ outstanding work rate and determination was finally rewarded in the 70th minute, when he burst forward and headed in Calum Chambers’ cross to give Arsenal the lead.
Chambers then etched his own name on to the score sheet 2 minutes later to put the Gunners 2-0 and claim his first goal for the club.
The afternoon was rounded off by the man of the hour, Alexis, as he met Gibbs’ cross on the box and tucked the ball in the net following some great footwork in the 6-yard box.
Burnley will feel hard done by having held out so well for 70 minutes, and their keeper, Tom Heaton, put in a fantastic performance to keep the score at 3-0.
Arsenal’s first clear-cut chance in the game fell to Danny Welbeck in the 13th minute. The striker did well to tiptoe around the Burnley defence on the 6-yard line, but his shot was blocked.
Minutes later, Santi Cazorla looked to open up Burnley once more, driving through the centre of the park, but he was brought down by George Boyd, who picked up a yellow card.
Alexis Sanchez stood over the free kick, but his strike from 25 yards didn’t have the power to beat Tom Heaton in the Burnley goal.
Arsenal should have been handed a penalty in the 18th minute and Burnley should have been down to ten men when Boyd threw his hand in the air to stop an Arsenal corner.
In what would have been a turning point in the game for Arsenal, who had been dominating since kick off, the officials failed to spot Boyd’s infringement and he managed to escape punishment.
Pressure from Arsenal continued to grow and a golden opportunity to take the lead fell to Cazorla in the 26th minute.
Alexis did tremendously well to wriggle free from a challenge and feed the ball in to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who’s cross found Cazorla in the box, but the Spaniard fired wide.
Burnley’s best chance of the game came in the 32nd minute, when the ball dropped to Scott Arfield who squeezed a pass through to Ings who was in on goal.
Fortunately for Arsenal, Mathieu Flamini was on hand to intercept the pass, which ran harmlessly back to Wojciech Szczesny in goal.
Alexis continued his own personal onslaught late on in the second half with two long range shots that flew just wide of the target, but despite his best efforts, the sides went in at the break at 0-0.
Burnley started the second half with real menace when George Boyd’s clever ball found Danny Ings running towards the Arsenal goal.
Szczesny misjudged the touch from Ings and could have been embarrassed had it not been for Per Mertesacker covering.
From then on, the Arsenal onslaught really began. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain put on a real show, and in the 60th minute his deflected shot almost found the top corner of the Burnley net.
Alexis’ ball to Chambers caused the Burnley defence problems when the right back knocked the ball back in to the box, only for Cazorla’s tame shot to be blocked.
Arsenal finally got the goal they had been working hard for in the 70th minute, when Chambers’ cross found the head of Alexis, who guided it in to the net. 1-0 Arsenal.
Burnley’s collapse continued just two minutes later, when Danny Welbeck had a shot saved and Chambers was there to finish the loose ball for Arsenal’s second of the game.
The introduction of Lukas Podolski and Theo Walcott in the 80th minute only upped the tempo for Arsenal, and Podolski showed just why he should get more game time.
The German international almost scored two goals in 2 minutes, but for a point blank save from Heaton and a rocket of a volley ricocheting off the post in the 86th minute.
Theo Walcott was welcomed back on to the pitch with open arms and almost managed to get on the score sheet himself when his powerful shot from a tight angle was turned round the post.
Alexis rounded off what turned out to be a perfect day for the Gunners in the 91st minute when he scored Arsenal’s third. The Chilean met Kieran Gibbs’ cross in the 6-yard box and poked it home, making that 10 goals in 12 games for the forward.
Burnley, and in particular, Heaton, put in a great performance at the Emirates, but it was Arsenal who walked away with the three points.