Arsenal won thanks to a controversial goal in the 93rd minute.

Wenger's team were helpless throughout the 90 minutes of regular time, but still managed to score in the final seconds to beat hosts Burnley 1-0 in the 7th round of the Premier League on October 2nd.

At 90+3 minutes, the scoreboard at Turf Moor was still 0-0, and both teams were almost certain to leave the field with one point each. However, the fate of the match was decided in the very last seconds, in a situation that promises to cause intense controversy in the coming days.

Arsenal were awarded a corner kick on the right, the ball was lofted into the penalty area for Walcott to head it to the far post. There, two players in yellow (the away kit color of the "Gunners") broke free. Koscielny quickly flicked the ball with his foot, it bounced off Koscielny's hand before going into the net.Referee Craig Pawson had a very good view of the situation, but he still awarded the goal to the away team. The goalscorer was also credited to Koscielny.

The ball, from Chamberlain's foot, clearly struck Koscielny's hand before bouncing into the net, as Arsenal sealed a 1-0 victory in injury time. Photo: SkySports.

The Arsenal players and their fans erupted in excitement, while on the home side, some were stunned, and others clutched their heads in disappointment.

Losing to a last-minute, decisive goal resulting from an opponent's handball was a somewhat unfair outcome for Burnley, especially considering...In that match, the newly promoted team played their best in their own unique style.

With a two-tiered defense of four players in each layer, maintaining excellent positional discipline both when dropping deep and pushing forward, Burnley erected a veritable "bus" in front of Tom Heaton's goal. Arsenal's attacking stars, to put it mildly, had a miserable afternoon, as all their efforts ended in futility, like running headfirst into a stone wall.

Burnley also proved it was no coincidence that they caused a shock by beating giants Liverpool 2-0 in the second round at Turf Moor. Against Arsenal, despite their defensive approach, every time Sean Dyche's players pushed forward, they made the visitors' defense sweat profusely with a simple tactic - utilizing set pieces and lofted balls to exploit the aerial ability of their tall players.

Arsenal were repeatedly terrified by Burnley's aerial attacks and only thanks to goalkeeper Petr Cech's exceptional saves did they avoid conceding two goals from such situations. Photo: Reuters.

In the first half, Sam Vokes, in the 38th minute, headed wide when the Arsenal defense paused, thinking the offside trap had worked. In the second half, Burnley had three similar chances, twice forcing Petr Cech to make spectacular saves from headers by Gudmundsson in the 58th minute and Michael Keane in the 74th minute. In the 60th minute, when Cech was helpless, Walcott was there to clear Voke's header, saving Arsenal from conceding.

This was a match where Arsenal were theoretically considered the stronger team, given their squad quality and their unbeaten record (22 wins, 3 draws) in their last 25 encounters with newly promoted teams. The Gunners also had the added motivation of securing a victory to honor manager Wenger, who had just celebrated his 20th anniversary as Arsenal's manager the day before.

However, the harsh reality at Turf Moor far exceeded the visitors' expectations. Arsenal only excelled in possession, consistently exceeding 65%, impressing the crowd with their skillful and technical plays. But what was most needed to make a difference – the unpredictability in the final touches – was something Wenger's players failed to deliver.

Many times, Arsenal players passed the ball directly to opponents or into positions where their teammates were outmaneuvering them. In the entire first half, they only had one shot on target, and in the second half, despite attacking more, Arsenal only created two more chances. But on an unlucky afternoon, Alexis was denied by Tom Heaton once, and on another occasion, his volley went wide of the post.

Alexis and Arsenal's attacking stars always struggle against Burnley's compact defense, which is very good at closing down spaces. Photo: SM.

Wenger was constantly annoyed, impatient, and shouting from the sidelines, but his players on the field continued to play like headless chickens. Even when the "Professor" made adjustments, bringing in Elneny to increase the fighting spirit in midfield and improving the speed of the attack with Chamberlain, the situation did not change.

But at their most desperate moment, luck, and to some extent the referee's judgment, smiled upon Arsenal, securing a victory with a controversial last-minute goal. This extended Wenger's team's winning streak in the Premier League to five matches, propelling them to third place with 16 points, just two points behind leaders Manchester City.

According to VNE