Premier League: Arsenal beat stubborn Burnley 3-0 to move into top four

Alexis Sanchez scored twice as Arsenal moved into the top four courtesy of a 3-0 victory over a resilient Burnley.

The Gunners were frustrated for 70 minutes at the Emirates as they were unable to make their vastly superior possession count against a well-drilled Clarets side.

But the deadlock was finally broken by Sanchez, who rose highest in the box to head in a Callum Chambers cross.

Two minutes later, Chambers went from provider to scorer by latching on to a loose ball in the box to hammer home following a corner.

And in the final minute, Sanchez grabbed his second by collecting Kieran Gibbs' low cross in the box and finishing from close range.

The scoreline could have been even greater were it not for Burnley keeper Tom Heaton, who produced a string of superb saves to deny the Gunners, most notably a point-blank block from the volley of substitute Lukas Podolski late in the second half, and the woodwork, which the German struck with a fierce volley.

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The keeper also produced a fine diving save to deny an angled drive from Theo Walcott, who came off the bench to make his first appearance since January following a serious knee injury.

The win lifts the Gunners up to fourth in the table but still nine points behind league-leaders Chelsea, who beat QPR on Saturday.

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It also extends their unbeaten home run in the league to an impressive 23 games.

In contrast, Burnley have now failed to win any of their opening 10 games of a Premier League season, becoming just the 10th team to suffer this ignominious fate.

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They are not beyond salvation yet but with the gap between themselves and 17th place now at five points they have an increasingly difficult task to extend their top-flight stay into a second season.

However, as has often been the case this season, this was a defeat from which the Clarets can take plenty of positives.

For much of the match they stifled their vastly superior opponents, yielding plenty of possession but giving away relatively few chances, with a couple of wayward Sanchez shots from range and Cazorla's volleyed effort past the post the closest the home side came to scoring in the first half.

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As the game wore on, Sean Dyche's side began to grow in belief of earning an unlikely point.

But in Sanchez, Arsenal had the best player on the pitch and he showed superb desire to get on the end of Chambers cross to head in and break not only the deadlock, but Burnley's belief.

Soon after, Chambers wrapped up the game by burying a lose ball after Heaton had saved Danny Welbeck's shot following a corner.

In the dying moments, Sanchez grabbed his second with a neat finish inside the box to make it 10 goals in his last 12 games.