Sunderland Halt Arsenal’s Winning Streak in Dramatic Premier League Title Twist

Arsenal’s impressive 10-match winning run across all competitions came to a dramatic end as Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey struck a stoppage-time equaliser to seal a 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

The Gunners, who had gone eight consecutive matches without conceding, were forced to settle for just a point — extending their lead at the top of the Premier League to seven points ahead of Manchester City, who host Liverpool on Sunday.

Dan Ballard gave the newly-promoted Black Cats a surprise first-half lead, ending Arsenal’s long run of clean sheets dating back to 28 September.

Thunderous second-half finishes from Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard turned the game on its head for Mikel Arteta’s men, but Brobbey’s late strike denied them a vital three points in the title race.

The result lifts Sunderland level on points with Manchester City, while Arsenal’s stumble offers encouragement to their chasing rivals ahead of Sunday’s showdown at the Etihad Stadium.

Arteta: “We showed incredible resilience”

Speaking after the match, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted frustration at his side’s defensive lapses but praised their determination to fight back.

“We conceded two similar goals, which is not good enough for ourselves,” said Arteta.
“But the team showed incredible resilience and courage to come back, to score the equaliser and the second goal. Even after conceding late, we still had a massive chance to win it.
I can only be proud of the team.”

Physical Sunderland Impress on Home Return

Sunderland, unbeaten at home this season on their return to the Premier League, once again demonstrated their physicality and belief against one of Europe’s strongest sides.

Former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka, now a key figure for the Black Cats, relished the chance to unsettle his former team-mates, setting the tone for an aggressive, high-tempo performance.

Ballard, who came through Arsenal’s youth system, was the standout performer, capping a commanding display with both a goal and a crucial late block.

“It’s a good morale boost to show we can go against a really top team — probably one of the best in Europe at the minute,” Ballard said.
“But it’s just one point, and we’ve got a lot of work to do to achieve our goal of staying up this year.”

Set-Piece Strength and Late Drama

Arsenal, who have relied heavily on their own set-piece prowess this season, were undone by one midway through the first half.
Ballard pounced on Nordi Mukiele’s header to blast into the roof of the net beyond David Raya on 36 minutes.

After the interval, Declan Rice dispossessed Enzo Le Fée in midfield to spark the move that led to the equaliser.
Mikel Merino’s precise pass found Saka, who drove home powerfully with his weaker right foot to level the score.

The visitors then struck again on 74 minutes, when Leandro Trossard took advantage of Riccardo Calafiori’s decoy run before curling a stunning effort into the top corner.

But just as Arsenal looked set to secure victory, Sunderland struck back. Ballard rose highest to flick on a cross, and Brobbey showed immense strength to hold off Gabriel Magalhães and hook the ball past Raya in the 93rd minute.

Moments later, Ballard was at it again — blocking Merino’s goal-bound effort after Robin Roefs had parried Calafiori’s header.

Title Race Tightens

The result sees Sunderland climb level on points with Manchester City and move above Liverpool and Tottenham, while Arsenal’s lead at the top is cut to seven points.

With City and Liverpool set to clash at the Etihad on Sunday, the Premier League title race has taken another twist — and Arsenal’s air of invincibility has, for now, been punctured.