Arsenal vs. Burnley: Winners and Losers from Premier League Game
After struggling to score in the first half, Arsenal finished off Burnley with three second-half goals to win 3-0 at home in English Premier League play.
Alexis Sanchez starred for the Gunners with goals in the 70th and 91st minutes. Calum Chambers scored the second goal of the match in the 72nd minute.
Thanks to the win, and a draw for West Ham United at Stoke City, the Gunners are now in fourth place in the table, while Burnley are still without a win in last place.
Here's a look at the winners and losers from Arsenal's fourth league win of the season.
Winner: Alexis Sanchez
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Arsenal fans were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief in the 70th minute, when Alexis Sanchez cut through a pair of defenders to score the first goal of the match.
The Chilean, who was terrific for the entire match, made a superb run to find space in between Michael Duff and Kieran Trippier. After he found the gap in the Burnley defense, he was able to nod home his seventh league goal of the season.
After the match, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger praised Alexis for his desire to find the back of the net.
"His header was more a result of desire than doing something technically. He's a fighter." Wenger said, per the team's official Twitter account.
Alexis gave the fans at the Emirates Stadium more to cheer about in the 91st minute, as he finished off a pass from Kieran Gibbs to score his 10th goal in all competitions.
The two goals were deserved rewards for the summer transfer from Barcelona, who was the best player on the pitch in north London.
Loser: Tom Heaton
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There was only so much Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton could do before Arsenal showed their true class in front of goal.
Heaton made eight saves for the last-place Clarets in the defeat, but his efforts in goal were not enough in the end.
Even when Arsenal went ahead by two goals, the 28-year-old was still conjuring up spectacular saves, as he denied Lukas Podolski, Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey of goals in the final 10 minutes of the match.
Despite his strong showing in between the pipes, Heaton did concede on three occasions, which is the statistic that matters the most in the end.
Winner: Calum Chambers
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Lost in all the hoopla surrounding Alexis' brace was Calum Chambers' second-half performance.
The Arsenal right-back delivered a cross from the right to set up the Chilean's first strike before he earned a goal himself two minutes later.
The goal and assist for Chambers ended a 30-match period of inactivity in the scoring column, per WhoScored.
Chambers may not contribute offensively on a weekly basis, but he did prove Saturday that he is capable of impressing in attack on occasion.
Loser: Lukas Podolski
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In his brief cameo at the Emirates, Podolski had two golden chances to extend the lead of the home side.
The German forward entered the match in the 80th minute, and he almost made an immediate impact on the scoreboard, but Heaton kept him out.
Podolski was denied at point-blank range by the Burnley 'keeper in the 84th minute before he drilled the post with his 86th-minute attempt.
Moving forward this season, the Gunners will need someone to make an impact off the bench, and Podolski could be one of those players if he keeps creating chances like the ones he had Saturday.
Winner: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
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For most of the match, the Arsenal attack ran through the right wing thanks to the play of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Oxlade-Chamberlain was electric in attack, and he was able to connect well with Alexis and Chambers moving forward.
He may not have earned the glory for scoring a goal, but his rampant pace on the right wing helped break down the Burnley back four.
If he continues to show strong chemistry with his teammates in attack, Oxlade-Chamberlain could end up being one of the top players this season for the Gunners.
Loser: Michael Duff
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Just as we were getting ready to lay the praises on the Burnley back four, they let Alexis sneak in behind them to score the first goal of the match.
Michael Duff was one of the two defenders responsible for letting the diminutive Chilean find space in the box.
Just five minutes before he let the Arsenal player head home his first of the day, Duff was thrust into the role of hero for a 65th-minute block on a Santi Cazorla shot.
Duff and his teammates certainly showed why they are winless and in last place in the English Premier League with their defending in the final 20 minutes.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche said his team did well for 70 minutes, but they were handed a dose of reality once the first goal was scored, per the team's official Twitter account.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
