Arsene Wenger accepted he was lucky to celebrate 20 years in charge of Arsenal with a Premier League victory after Laurent Koscielny's controversial stoppage-time winner sank Burnley 1-0 at Turf Moor.
Arsene Wenger accepted he was lucky to celebrate 20 years in charge of Arsenal with a Premier League victory after Laurent Koscielny's controversial stoppage-time winner sank Burnley 1-0 at Turf Moor.
Wenger, officially appointed Arsenal boss 20 years and one day ago, looked set to mark his anniversary in frustrating fashion as the Gunners mis-fired in the face of some gallant Burnley defending.
Sean Dyche's side had gone closest to breaking the deadlock in the second half when Michael Keane's towering header hit the crossbar, but in the third minute of added time Arsenal skipper Koscielny snatched the winner with what appeared to be his elbow.
"I didn't see the ball going in, but I've been told yes, that we were a bit fortunate to have the goal," Wenger said.
Koscielny was lurking at the back post and was hit by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's close-range effort after Theo Walcott had headed on Alexis Sanchez's ball in following a short corner.
There was also a hint of offside with both Oxlade-Chamberlain and Koscielny standing close to the goalline.
"I must say, you feel disappointed if you're in Burnley's shoes because they gave absolutely everything and you can understand they will be a bit gutted to lose like that because they put all the effort in to get a result," Wenger said.
Victory, Arsenal's seventh in eight games in all competitions and their fifth straight Premier League success, lifted Wenger's side up to third in the table and closed the gap on leaders Manchester City to two points.
"It's a big win because City lost and we were five points behind and when you're five points behind a top-quality team, when you have an opportunity to get a bit closer you cannot miss it," Wenger said.
"That would have been the negative aspect of our game today had we not won."
Sanchez, Walcott, Mesut Ozil and Alex Iwobi had all been guilty of dithering when well-placed in Burnley's penalty area, while Johann Berg Gudmundsson's header was turned away at full stretch by Petr Cech and Keane headed Gudmundsson's 75th-minute corner against the crossbar, although replays appeared to show the keeper got his hand to it.
"We got a bit lucky," Wenger added. "We were a bit fortunate to win the game, but you can only have a chance to win if you keep going.
"It was the kind of game you could have won 1-0 and you could have lost 1-0."
Dyche said it was a cruel way for his side to lose, but did not take the matter up with referee Craig Pawson after the match and took solace in his own side's performance.
"It's a handball goal," Dyche said. "You're frustrated at any point in the game but you're certainly frustrated when you've not even got a kick left in it, not to get something from the game.
"Apart from that, which is out of our control, which is up to the referee, we delivered a very good performance.
"Great organisation, I was really pleased tactically, the energy and the belief in the group."
Dyche also felt Koscielny was offside when he turned the ball home.
"There were a number of things," he added. "You can only think the referee's honest enough and will probably have a tough night driving home thinking about things.
"He was good in general and I don't want to harp on about it, but it was a tough one today from the referee in the last six seconds."
Burnley defender Michael Keane was gutted to fall to defeat so late in the game to a "dodgy decision" but he says the team can take plenty of positives from the manner of their performance.
Keane told Sky Sports: "It's extremely disappointing, the lads put in a great shift today, I thought we were brilliant to a man and to lose like that in the last kick of the game for the second time in a couple of weeks is tough to take.
"I've not seen it back but I'm hearing it was first of all handball and offside so you hope these things come back round for you throughout the season, it's a dodgy decision but we just have to get on with it.
"I thought we defended really well, we all know Arsenal are a top-class team with great players but we limited them to very little chances and we were unlucky not to score a few of our own. It's one of those days, we are very disappointed but we can take a lot from it.
"We took it by the scruff of the neck and I think we played some really good stuff today, like I say we defended unbelievably well and if we keep playing like that we will pick up a lot of points."