Arsenal left it late to beat Burnley 2-1 on Sunday to move up to second in the Premier League table.

Arsene Wenger’s side looked set to drop points to Sean Dyche’s men when Andre Gray slotted home an added time penalty, but Alexis Sanchez’s 15th league goal of the campaign, also from the spot, in the 98th minute secured a dramatic victory for the Gunners.

It means that Wenger’s men leapfrogged Tottenham and Liverpool into second place in the division, although they remain eight points behind league leaders Chelsea after they got the better of struggling Hull 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Victory was Arsenal’s 14th of the campaign, and they’ll go into their FA Cup fourth round clash at Southampton on Saturday confident of advancing to the last 16.

However, many still feel that Wenger needs more reinforcements this month in order to keep his side competitive on all fronts this season, so he may dip into the winter window over the coming days to secure a few key signings.

Thus, here is what their dream spine could look like this time next week…

Petr Cech

One of the all-time great goalkeepers in Premier League history, Petr Cech continues to produce match-winning performances for Arsenal.

The 34-year-old made the move across London from Chelsea in 2015 as the Gunners finally captured the world-class keeper they’ve been crying out for for years, and the former Czech Republic international certainly lived up to his billing in his first season at the Emirates.

Cech kept a league-high 16 clean sheets for Wenger’s men last term, and was perhaps unfortunate to lose out on a place in the PFA Team of the Year, although Manchester United’s David De Gea also had a fine season.

Nonetheless, Arsenal conceded just 36 goals last season, only one more than the lowest conceders Tottenham and Manchester United, and they have Cech to thank for bailing them out on numerous occasions.

He remains a world-class goalkeeper.

Laurent Koscielny

It took Laurent Koscielny a bit of time to adapt to the physicality of the English game, but he’s now one of the best centre-backs in the division.

The French international moved from Lorient in 2010 and, although he struggled at times in the first few years at the Emirates, he has developed into a fine centre-half who is defensively sound and authoritative at the back.

The 31-year-old does have an error in him but, unlike his early years in England, they are not as frequent now and less significant, as he mingles those in with several goal-saving clearances and challenges.

Koscielny is the bedrock of the Arsenal backline, and probably will be for a while yet.

David Alaba

Albeit normally a left-back, and a very good one at that, Bayern Munich’s David Alaba could be exactly what Arsenal need in the centre of midfield.

Granit Xhaka’s discipline must be of concern to Wenger, as must Santi Cazorla’s injury troubles, while Mohamed Elneny and Francis Coquelin are solid players, but do have one too many off-games in the middle.

That’s where Alaba comes in, who has been linked with a move to the Premier League, and indeed has reportedly stated that he would prefer a move to the Emirates.

Although usually a left-back, the 24-year-old has vast amounts of experience playing in the centre of midfield, and his dynamism and tenacity could be what the Gunners need to solidify that area of the pitch.

The Austrian international has acquired just shy of 300 club appearances already and 50 caps for his country, so has played a lot of football at an early age and at a high level, so he’s somebody Arsenal should certainly try and sign this month, especially if he’s inclined to a move to North London.

Alexis Sanchez

Although Olivier Giroud has been in fine form recently, Alexis Sanchez looked unstoppable when playing in the more advanced role earlier in the season.

The Chilean deputised in that position due to Giroud’s injury over the summer and indeed Danny Welbeck’s long-term setback, and the former Barcelona man excelled leading the line for the Gunners, scoring 14 goals in that role.

However, Sanchez wasn’t just getting the best out of himself, he was also getting the best out of Alex Iwobi, Theo Walcott, and Mesut Ozil, as the Chile international laid on nine assists in 20 games from that position, with his pace, agility, and vision opening up spaces for Ozil to exploit, and Walcott an Iwobi to run into.

Giroud has been excellent and deserves credit for his performances, but Arsenal looked brilliant when Sanchez led the line, and they should try and go back to that in the near future.