Gunners win after late drama

It was all about timing for Arsenal here. After arriving at Turf Moor just 52 minutes before kick-off, after the team coach was stuck in traffic, they left it until the final seconds to secure a barely deserved but crucial victory.

Alexis Sanchez's penalty two minutes into added time ensured a successive contentious win at Burnley as Arsene Wenger clambered back into the Premier League's top four.

Last season it was Laurent Kolscienly's winner, which appeared both offside and handball, and this time it was the outstanding James Tarkowski's push on Aaron Ramsey which swung the game towards Arsenal.

Sanchez was not going to waste the opportunity and Sean Dyche, the Burnley manager, witnessed a deserved point turning into their first home defeat since August. Burnley have still not beaten Arsenal in the league for 43 years.

This had all the ingredients for a Wenger nightmare. Freezing conditions, with a nearby mountain encrusted with snow, and frequent rain raised the inevitable question: would Arsenal fancy it on a Sunday afternoon in Burnley?

Mesut Ozil was sent home from the team hotel this morning due to illness while the coach arrived late. It all seemed as if the script was written for an Arsenal capitulation, until referee Lee Mason's dramatic contribution.

Arsenal could not find a way into the game and Alexis Sanchez was sometimes playing so deep he needed a snorkel. Burnley's central defenders, Ben Mee and James Tarkowski, will have given the watching Gareth Southgate something to think about.

But the game was turned on its head in injury time when Tarkowski, who had been excellent, bundled over Ramsey. It appeared soft – the locals certainly thought so – and Sanchez completed ultimate smash and grab raid. At least Dick Turpin had the decency to wear a mask.