Wenger: From outside it looked like a penalty
LONDON: An injury-time penalty from Alexis Sanchez gave Arsenal a 1-0 win at Turf Moor in the Premier League yesterday to send the Londoners up to fourth place.
It was a close affair throughout with Burnley showing exactly why they entered the game level on points with Arsene Wenger’s side, but it ended in controversy.
Arsenal won both games against the Lancashire side last season with disputed late goals and were reminded of that recent history throughout the game by the home support.
Television replays showed that James Tarkowski pushed Aaron Ramsey in the back, although the Welsh international’s dramatic fall angered the home support who booed off referee Lee Mason at the end.
“I can understand they are disappointed but from the outside it looks like a penalty,” said Wenger, who said Ramsey had told him it was a “very strong push”.
Arsenal, who were without German playmaker Mesut Ozil because of illness, arrived at the ground late after what Wenger called “traffic problems” and they were slow out of the blocks.
Burnley, on the back of three straight wins and without a home defeat since mid-August, started strongly and went close in the 15th minute when Iceland winger Johann Berg Gudmundsson struck the post after a flowing counter-attack.
Arsenal gradually clawed their way back into the game, but they had trouble handling Gudmundsson’s speed and directness down the flanks.
Ramsey missed a good chance when, taking the ball first time from a low cross by Alexandre Lacazatte, he fired over the bar.
Nacho Monreal shot just wide of Nick Pope’s post as the Gunners ended the half strongly, but there were few chances in a tight second period. Burnley’s Belgian midfielder Steve Defour fired over after Robbie Brady had a low shot blocked and although Burnley threw on an extra striker in Chris Wood, they were unable to replicate the pressure that they had created in the opening half.
Then came the late drama with Sanchez keeping his cool to slot the penalty past Pope, ending Burnley’s winning run and allowing the Gunners to move above north London rivals Tottenham and Liverpool, a point behind thirdplaced Chelsea.
Elsewhere, Raheem Sterling scored a fortuitous late winner as Manchester City opened up an eight-point lead at the top of the league with a hard-fought 2-1 victory against a spirited Huddersfield Town yesterday.
City dominated with 80 percent possession, but had to wait until the 84th minute when Sterling unwittingly bundled home after a shot from Gabriel Jesus cannoned off goalkeeper Jonas Lossl and into his path.
In front of their vociferous fans, Huddersfield – who earlier this month beat City’s rivals Manchester United – took the most unlikely lead when Nicolas Otamendi diverted a corner into his own net in first-half stoppage time.
Their lead was erased within two minutes of the restart, however, when Sergio Aguero calmly converted a penalty after Sterling was brought down by Scott Malone.
Huddersfield’s Rajiv van La Parra was shown a red card after the final whistle following an altercation with Leroy Sane.
Table-topping City have 37 points from 13 games, while Huddersfield sit 11th with 15 points in a promising first Premier League campaign.
Meanwhile, Everton’s caretaker manager David Unsworth said he was still unaware of who would land the full-time role while refusing to admit the club are in a relegation battle after their 4-1 defeat at Southampton.
The heavy loss on the south coast followed the 5-1 hammering at the hands of mid-table Serie A side Atalanta in midweek as Everton’s miserable start to a season that promised so much took another downward turn. Everton’s majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri said on Friday the club were “very close” to naming a permanent replacement for Ronald Koeman, who was sacked in October.
Yet Unsworth, who has repeatedly said he wants the job while overseeing team affairs on a temporary basis, said he still did not know who that appointment would be.
“I went up to see the board of directors before the game and spoke to the chairman,” Unsworth said. “You are asking the wrong guy. I do not know. Big decisions have to be made, not just on the manager, but players as well.
“If it needs injured players to come back for things to get better, if it needs January to go and get new players, something has to change, because this group of players are underperforming, whether it is myself or Ronald in charge.”
Gyfli Sigurdsson had cancelled out Dusan Tadic’s opener for Southampton in spectacular fashion on the stroke of halftime but the league’s leakiest defence then gave up three second-half goals as the Saints cruised to victory.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Unsworth said, when it was suggested Everton were now in a relegation battle as they sit 16th, two points above 18th-placed West Ham United.
“We are in a tough moment. If you ask me that question in a week, I might be able to give you a better answer.
“The second and third goals were really poor. Teams are not having to work hard to score against us. Whether we play two centre-backs, three centre-backs, a back four or a back five, individuals are underperforming. We are conceding far too many goals. Things have to change.” – Reuters