Arsenal 2 Burnley 1: Arsene Wenger cannot trust Granit Xhaka, Tom Heaton is hot stuff and Alex Iwobie is a star in the making
Five things we learnt as the Gunners snatch crucial late win in their pursuit of Chelsea at the top
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ARSENAL maintained the pursuit of Chelsea at the top of the Premier League as they ground out a narrow victory over Burnley.
Arsene Wenger's side dominated for huge periods against the Clarets but were pushed all the way before they secure maximum points.
SunSport brings you five things we learnt as ten-man Arsenal just got the job done at the Emirates Stadium.
Time to Xhak Granit
Arsene Wenger has already spoken out about the need for Granit Xhaka to learn to control himself on the pitch - pretty soon his patience will start to wear thin.
Xhaka was sent off for his two-footed lunge on Steven Defour, and almost carbon copy of his dismissal against Swansea earlier this season when referee Jon Moss was again the man to show red.
The Swiss international has plenty of ability and could be a hugely important player for Arsenal, but to do that he needs to be playing.
Now he will miss the next four matches, including the crucial match against Chelsea, and Wenger will be fumin at the lack of discipline his man is showing.
The big worry is, he doesn't seem to be learning, and you can only trust a player like that for so long.
Post your answers
There are sure to be statisticians out there who will come up with a chart to prove otherwise, but yet again a goal is conceded by a team having no man on the post at a corner.
You can mark mark or go zonal or whatever the latest coaching fad is, but how many goals have been saved by a man hoofing the ball off the line stood on his far post?
Arsenal opened the scoring when Shkodran Mustafi's header just eluded the despairing dive of Heaton and passed into the corner of the net - exactly where a player should have been standing.
As if to emphasise the stupidity of the way they set up, Burnley then put a man on that post at the very next corner two minutes later. Talk about after the Lord Mayor's Show.
Alex can be a star
In Alex Iwobi Arsenal really do have a player who can become a top class footballer.
While many in the Arsenal crowd are desperate for the club to splash out millions on a big name, they should take a look at the progress the 20-year-old has made this season and lick their lips at what might follow.
He has pace, power and skills in abundance - and now he is developing a football brain too, learning from the example set by Alexis Sanchez.
Iwobi has everything in his game to go on and become one of the very best in the league.
Burnley may feel the Heat
It is becoming a bit of mystery why Burnley are not having to batten down the hatches to prevent other clubs snatching Tom Heaton from their grasps.
Maybe it is because the Clarets are seen as an unfashionable club, but there are plenty of sides in the Permier League and beyond who would be a whole lot better with Heaton in their side.
The goalkeeper has been so consistent for the last two or three years, but this season he has really stepped up to help his team with a string of excellent saves.
If he carries on in this kind of form then Burnley may find themselves with a problem on their hands - trying to keep the big guns away from their keeper.
A dog's dinner
The future of Alexis Sanchez has dominated the thoughts of many an Arsenal fan this season, and there is no doubt that the vast majority of supporters are desperate for him to stay.
But there has to be a better way of voicing your support than getting a couple of banners down to celebrate their hero's love of his pet dogs.
But there they were, hanging high at the Emirates - a token gesture aimed at showing just how much Snachez means to the crowd.
Trouble is, as Dimitri Payet has shown, adulation from the fans is no barrier to stopping the modern player from uprooting and leaving. Key will be whether he thinks the club have any chance of challenging for honours.
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