SWANSEA: Swansea scored twice in less than three minutes to rally to a 2-1 victory over Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday, with substitute Bafetimbi Gomis grabbing the winner barely 90 seconds after coming on.

A listless game played in driving rain in south Wales was sparked into life by Alexis Sanchez’s close-range finish in the 63rd minute, the Chile forward scoring for the fourth straight league game.

Gylfi Sigurdsson curled home a stunning free kick to equalise for Swansea in the 75th and Gomis completed the hosts’ recovery by rising high to head home a pin-point cross from Jefferson Montero, who exploited the right side of Arsenal’s fragile defense all game.

The defeat ended a miserable week for Arsenal, which surrendered a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 against Anderlecht in the Champions League on Tuesday.

“It’s difficult to explain how we lost the lead,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.

“We were in control. We lost some decisive challenges in the middle of the park in the last 20 minutes.

“When we were 1-0, we lacked some spark and killer instinct.”

With its brittle defense and an increasing reliance on Sanchez’s goals, Arsenal looks to have little hope of catching unbeaten leader Chelsea, which is 12 points ahead of its London rival after just 11 games.

Sixth-placed Arsenal hasn’t beaten a side outside the bottom seven this season.

Sanchez steered home a finish from eight meters at the end of a sweeping counter-attack in the 63rd minute, extending his prolific form that has seen him score six goals in his last four games in all competitions. He now has 12 goals overall in his first season with Arsenal.

Swansea came fighting back and Arsenal could not deal with the hosts’ intensity.

Sigurdsson, Swansea’s best player this season, whipped a free kick over the wall and beyond goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, at which point manager Garry Monk threw on Gomis.

One of the striker’s first touches was to rise above Nacho Monreal — a left back playing in central defense — and meet Montero’s cross with a header that found the bottom corner.

“We talked about belief before the game, about how good we have been and how good we can be,” Monk said.

“We showed our character.”

Swansea moved fifth with 18 points from 11 games.

Published in Dawn, November 11th , 2014