Arsenal 2 Hull 0: Watch highlights as Alexis Sanchez punches in opener before sealing win from penalty after Sam Clucas is sent off… for controversial handball
Chilean strike ace threw his under-fire manager a lifeline as Gunners laboured to victory against Marco Silva's side
ALEXIS SANCHEZ almost quite literally handed Arsene Wenger a lifeline from hostile Arsenal fans.
The Gunners boss has been under fire since last weekend's 3-1 drubbing at Chelsea.
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Alexis Sanchez scored with his hand to throw Arsene Wenger a lifelineCredit: EPA
But star man Sanchez responded with two hugely important - and controversial - goals.
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Some neat play between Mesut Ozil, and Alex Iwobi saw the Gunners charge down the left, with Kieran Gibbs firing into the box.
Sanchez proved more alert than any Hull defender and poked the ball against Eldin Jakupovic, PUNCHING in the rebound in the 34th minute.
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Arsenal star man Alexis Sanchez is first to a loose ball in the Hull boxCredit: Reuters
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The Chilean then bundles the ball in with his hand to give Arsenal the winnerCredit: Getty Images
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The ball flies rolls over the line to gift Arsenal three pointsCredit: Getty Images
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Hull players' appeals for handball fall on deaf ears as Alexis Sanchez runs away celebratingCredit: Getty Images
Marco Silva's much-improved Tigers came close at times, with on-loan Liverpool winger Lazar Markovic causing problems down the right.
But, despite a below-par Arsenal performance, the Gunners sealed the win with a second Sanchez goal - again thanks to a helping hand.
Sam Clucas was controversially sent off for a handball - it looked more ball to hand - in injury time and Sanchez fired in his second of the day from the penalty spot.
STATS, FACTS, GOALS & LOLS
PRE-MATCH reports that Petr Cech was going to be dropped proved wide of the mark. But he is likely to be on the bench for Wednesday’s trip to Munich as Arsenal have been relying on Davis Ospina as their Champions League keeper this season
NO team were busier than Hull during last month’s transfer window and six of Marco Silva’s seven new signings were in his starting line-up today.
ARSENE WENGER was watching from the Emirates directors’ box as he completed the final game of his four-match touchline ban. At least he didn’t have any pesky fans blocking his view this time.
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At least Arsene Wenger had no pesky fans blocking his view as he watched from the standsCredit: Getty Images
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Theo Walcott earned himself a yellow card for squaring up to Hull's giant centre-back Harry MaguireCredit: Getty Images
THE BBC’s website claimed Wenger was sat next to a thick-set heavy who looked like a Mitchell brother. In actual fact it was the manager’s long-term sidekick Boro Primorac.
WENGER revealed before the game that he had selected Kieran Gibbs specifically to deal with the threat of Hull winger Kamil Grosicki. What a pity the Polish international was playing on the other side of the pitch.
HULL’S defenders swarmed around Alex Sanchez like flies around s*** but didn’t seem to be quite so concerned about the strolling Mesut Ozil. Maybe the German was saving himself for the Champions League.
HULL were convinced that Sanchez’s 34th minute opener should have been disallowed and there was no doubt the ball went in off the striker’s raised right hand for his 18th goal of the season.
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Sam Clucas was controversially sent off for a handball in injury timeCredit: Reuters
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Alexis Sanchez makes it two as he scores from the penalty spotCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
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The Chilean bailed Arsenal out on a day where they were not at their brilliant bestCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
THE mild-mannered Theo Walcott received his first Arsenal yellow card since December 2013 for squaring up to Hull’s giant centre-half Harry Maguire. Steady on, Theo, there’s only going to be one winner there.
IF Walcott was unlucky to find himself in Mark Clatteburg’s notebook, Gibbs was fortunate to escape with just a booking for bringing down Lazar Markovic when the Hull man had a clear run at goal.
HULL may remain in the relegation zone for now but there’s no way they are going down if they continue to play like this for the rest of the season.
BIG PICTURE
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NEXT FIVE FIXTURES
Arsenal:
Bayern Munich (A) - Feb 15 - CL
Sutton United (A) - Feb 20 - FA Cup
Liverpool (A) - Mar 4 - PL
Bayern Munich (H) - Mar 7 - CL
Hull:
Burnley (H) - Feb 25 - PL
Leicester (A) - Mar 4 - PL
Swansea (H) - Mar 11 - PL
Everton (A) - Mar 18 - PL
West Ham (H) - Apr 1 - PL
SOCIAL SAYS
WHAT THEY SAID
Kieran Gibbs on Arsene Wenger being under fire: "The players don’t get involved in politics, we just want to play football. The most important thing is what happens on the pitch, we don’t want to be too concerned with what people say."
Andy Robertson on Alexis Sanchez' first goal: "Yeah it was handball.
"The referee's apologised to us and said it was a handball. He said he wasn’t 100 per cent sure.
"Not many referees admit they’re wrong. It's good but it doesn’t make it any better."
Arsene Wenger: "Maybe [we had fortune] but I cannot influence that. I didn’t see it [the handball] as well from the stands."
On the pressure Arsenal have been under this week, he added: "I believe in the players and every season you have some problems, some difficulties, it is always how you respond to them.
"We don’t listen too much what is said, but focus on what we are responsible for - on the pitch."
