THE saying ‘lightning never strikes twice’ is used to highlight that something unlucky rarely happens on two occasions.

Nobody thought of making it ‘lightning never strikes thrice’, because who could possibly be that unlucky?

Now we have an answer. For the third game in a row between the two sides Burnley suffered injury-time heartbreak against Arsenal, at the mercy of a referee's whistle more than Gunners brilliance.

Twice last season the Clarets were set for a point against this opposition. At Turf Moor the visitors snatched an undeserved victory thanks to a goal that was both offside and handball. At the Emirates Burnley equalised in added time, only for Arsenal to win it from the spot, although Laurent Koscielny was offside when fouled by Ben Mee.

Given that history there was a bit of relief when there was only two minutes of injury time added here, with the game still goalless. What could possibly go wrong in two minutes?

Burnley had begun the game brilliantly, but had tired as Arsenal wrested back control. A draw looked like it would be a fair outcome, the Clarets had shown their lofty league position to be no fluke.

But then the ball flashed across Burnley’s goal, Aaron Ramsey took flight, and Lee Mason pointed to the spot. James Tarkowski may well have laid hands on the Welsh midfielder’s back, but contact was minimal at best and Ramsey made the most of it.

Alexis Sanchez, the man who scored the penalty at the Emirates, broke Burnley hearts again. How unlucky can you be? It’s a good job Sean Dyche and Arsene Wenger get on, because the former must be sick of the sight of the latter.

Arsenal had been hit with everything East Lancashire could throw at them in the build-up to kick-off. Their bus encountered traffic on the M65, meaning they only arrived 50 minutes before the 2pm start.

With their warm-up curtailed Sanchez and co would have been disheartened to step out onto the Turf Moor pitch with temperatures plummeting and rain pounding the surface.

The Clarets looked to take advantage with a fast start and they played the opening exchanges with a high intensity, peppering the Arsenal box with crosses.

Johann Berg Gudmundsson was the beating heart of Burnley’s bright start and after Robbie Brady had won possession back, allowing the Clarets to counter through Barnes and Hendrick, the Iceland winger left Nacho Monreal on his back inside the area before seeing his right-footed shot touched onto the post by Petr Cech.

Arsenal are always a threat on the break though and Aaron Ramsey should have done better when he sent Alexandre Lacazette’s low cross over the bar from eight yards.

They were soon pegged back again, with the Clarets enjoying three successive corners, as Steven Defour’s shot was blocked by Shkodran Mustafi and Jeff Hendrick’s header was smothered by Cech.

Burnley’s first half performance had been relentless and they were close again before the break, Cech having to palm over a Brady free-kick from 25 yards.

The visitors looked to have warmed up after the break, Nick Pope finally called into action for the first time, saving Lacazette’s shot on the turn from 18 yards.

The Clarets were the ones having to weather Arsenal’s pressure now, but they almost broke to good effect when Stephen Ward got down the left and pulled a cross back for Brady, only for his shot to be blocked by Laurent Koscielny.

As time ticked away the Clarets looked to be hanging on for a point, but injury time is a dangerous time for Burnley against the Gunners, and so it proved once again.