Arsenal edge out Burnley to progress in FA Cup
Arsenal won their 14th straight FA Cup match by overcoming Championship side Burnley 2-1 this afternoon to reach the fifth round of this year’s competition.
It was an end-to-end start to proceedings at the Emirates as the Championship’s top scorer so far this season, Andre Gray, shot wide before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain fired over at the other end.
Alexis Sanchez was next to miss the target for the home side, but it was Burnley who had the first clear-cut opening when Gray robbed the ball from Laurent Koscielny to bear down on goal.
He had strike partner Sam Vokes in support but instead went for goal and was denied by David Ospina. Arsenal took the lead in the 19th minute and it came from an unlikely source as Calum Chambers, playing at right-back, used the outside of his foot to pick out the far corner after being found by Sanchez.
It was only the youngster’s second goal for the Gunners, with the other also coming against Burnley in the Premier League last season. Ten minutes later, Burnley were level against the run of play when Vokes powered home a header at the back post from Tendayi Darikwa’s cross.
Oxlade-Chamberlain had a couple of half-chances before the break, but Burnley held firm to go in level after 45 minutes.
The Clarets were first to threaten in the second half when Scott Arfield shot straight at David Ospina, but it was Arsenal who scored the game’s third goal in the 53rd minute and it was Sanchez on his first start since November who swept home from Alex Iwobi’s cross after a swift counter-attack.
Mohamed Elneny was making his Gunners debut and although he is known as a holding midfielder, he got forward often today and went close several times in the second half to marking his first appearance with a goal.
Burnley ran out of gas as the second half wore on and if any side was going to score the game’s fourth goal it was Arsenal.
Sanchez came closest with a curling free kick that Tom Heaton acrobatically saved in the top corner. Walcott replaced Sanchez late on and he should have wrapped things up in added time when he was put through on goal but failed to get around Heaton.
