Premier League leaders Arsenal were held to a 2-2 draw by Sunderland on Saturday night after Brian Brobbey’s stoppage-time equalizer denied them victory at the Stadium of Light.
Former Arsenal defender Dan Ballard gave Sunderland the lead in the 36th minute with a powerful finish, ending the visitors’ run of eight straight clean sheets. Bukayo Saka restored parity early in the second half, and Leandro Trossard fired Arsenal ahead in the 76th minute with a superb strike from the edge of the area.
But in the fourth minute of added time, Brobbey turned in Ballard’s header to snatch a point for the hosts and halt Arsenal’s winning momentum.
“We conceded two similar goals, which is not good enough for ourselves,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said after the match. “But we showed incredible resilience and courage to come back. Even at the end after we conceded, we had a massive chance to win it.”
The result leaves Arsenal seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table. Manchester City can cut that gap to four points if they beat Liverpool at the Etihad on Sunday.