Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger spared a thought for Burnley after Laurent Koscielny's bizarre stoppage-time goal had snatched his side a lucky 1-0 win on his 20th anniversary.
Wenger was officially appointed Gunners boss on the same weekend 20 years ago but more important to the Frenchman were all three points, fortuitously snaffled by his captain in the third minute of added time, which lifted his side to within two of leaders Manchester City.
"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.
"We got a bit lucky. We were a bit fortunate to win the game, but you can only have a chance to win if you keep going"
Koscielny was lurking at the back post and was hit on the arm 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 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.
Wenger looked set to mark his anniversary in frustrating fashion as the Gunners misfired 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.
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 a 75th-minute corner against the woodwork, although replays appeared to show the keeper got his hand to it.
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.
"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.
"We got a bit lucky. 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 was admirably restrained after seeing his side lose in such cruel fashion.
He said he did not take the matter up with referee Craig Pawson after the match and instead 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."
