Arsenal’s ten-game winning streak ended in dramatic fashion as Brian Brobbey’s stoppage-time goal earned Sunderland a 2-2 draw against the Premier League leaders on Saturday.
Former Arsenal defender Dan Ballard opened the scoring for Sunderland in the 36th minute with a fierce strike that also ended the Gunners’ run of eight consecutive clean sheets.
Bukayo Saka levelled early in the second half with a calm finish before Leandro Trossard’s 76th-minute strike looked to have sealed an eleventh straight victory for Mikel Arteta’s side.
However, deep into added time, Brobbey pounced on Ballard’s header to snatch a point for the hosts, leaving Arsenal frustrated. It was the first time Arteta’s men had failed to win since their 1-1 draw with Manchester City in September.
“We conceded two similar goals, which is not good enough for ourselves,” Arteta said. “But we showed incredible resilience and courage to come back. Even after conceding, we had a massive chance to win it.”
Arsenal remain seven points clear at the top, though Manchester City could narrow the gap to four if they defeat Liverpool at the Etihad on Sunday. A Liverpool win would instead bring the champions within five points of the leaders.
At the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Manchester United rescued a 2-2 draw in another late twist. Bryan Mbeumo gave United the lead in the 32nd minute, but Tottenham rallied through Mathys Tel’s 84th-minute equaliser and a deflected strike from Richarlison in stoppage time.
Just as Spurs looked set for victory, Matthijs de Ligt powered home a 96th-minute header to secure United’s fifth game unbeaten.
Both managers expressed frustration with the result. Tottenham’s Thomas Frank rued defensive lapses, while United boss Ruben Amorim said his team “lacked bravery” to finish the job.
