Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal’s win streak as well as their clean sheet streak ended at the Stadium of Light yesterday after an entertaining 2-2 draw to earn the Black Cats a well deserved point. It was the first time Arsenal had as much as conceded a goal since September and the first time since May that they conceded two goals in a match. Dan Ballard opened the scoring to give Sunderland a shock lead but Bukayo Saka equalized in the second half and twenty minutes after Leandro Trossard gave the Gunners the lead, one which most expected Arsenal to preserve but Brian Brobbey had other ideas as he bundled home an acrobatic effort in the dying embers of the match.

Mikel Merino started up top for Arsenal as they’re still without Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz. Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard were either side of the Spaniard with Eberechi Eze in attacking midfield. Regis Le Bris went again for his 5-4-1 formation that he tends to use against stronger teams. Wilson Isidor was up top, with Enzo Le Fee and Bertrand Traore on the flanks, Granit Xhaka also started against his old club.

From minute 1, the match looked like it would be a physical and intense affair, with both teams showing aggressive intent. The opening phases of play were mainly concentrated in the midfield, with Sunderland’s disciplined approach preventing the Gunners from finding space to penetrate their defense.

The first moment of concern came in the 7th minute when Arsenal’s Mikel Merino required medical attention following a collision with Sunderland defender Dan Ballard. Once the game resumed, the early attacking rhythm remained cagey. Arsenal registered the first shot on goal in the 15th minute when Declan Rice fired a low effort towards the corner, but Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs was equal to it, deflecting the ball away. Sunderland registered a warning shot in the 28th minute as Wilson Isidor managed to get behind the Arsenal defense, only to drag his resulting effort well wide of the goal.

The flow of the game was momentarily disrupted when Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi received the first caution of the match in the 31st minute for pulling an opponent’s shirt. This signaled a shift in momentum, and just five minutes later, Sunderland capitalised. In the 36th minute, former Arsenal academy player Dan Ballard scored the opening goal, meeting a knockdown from Nordi Mukiele, who received the ball from a free-kick, and rifling it past David Raya from close range. This goal was historic, as it broke Arsenal’s club-record run of clean sheets, which had spanned over 13.5 hours of football. Sunderland maintained the pressure, but amidst it, another caution was issued to Granit Xhaka in the 3rd minute of added time.

Despite conceding, Arsenal came agonizingly close to equalizing just before the break. In the 4th minute of added time, Bukayo Saka headed a ball to an unmarked William Saliba inside the box, but the center-back hooked his volley well over the crossbar, squandering a glorious chance. Sunderland held their 1-0 lead as the teams went in for half-time after the 9th minute pf added time.

Arsenal began the second half with renewed urgency. A wayward shot from Bukayo Saka flashed wide of the far post in the 52nd minute, but it was a sign of things to come. Two minutes later, Arsenal found the equalizer. Declan Rice won possession high up the pitch, and the ball was quickly worked to Mikel Merino, who set up Bukayo Saka to drill his shot past Roefs at the near post, leveling the score in the 54th minute.

In an attempt to counter Arsenal’s increased intensity, Sunderland made a triple substitution in the 63rd minute, bringing on Brian Brobbey for Wilson Isidor, Simon Adingra for Enzo Le Fée, and Chemsdine Talbi for Bertrand Traore. Arsenal were inches away from taking the lead in the 65th minute when Martin Zubimendi struck a volley that rattled the crossbar after Roefs punched a shot out to the edge of the area.

The pressure from the Gunners finally told in the 74th minute, shortly after Sunderland’s Reinildo Mandava was cautioned for a foul on Saka in the 73rd minute. Leandro Trossard was the man to score, creating a yard of space for himself before unleashing a powerful, rising shot into the top corner, completing the Arsenal comeback and giving them the lead.

Sunderland refused to give up, and substitute Brian Brobbey immediately made his presence felt, forcing a key moment in the 79th minute. A long ball caused chaos in the Arsenal box, and Brobbey had a close-range chance, but David Raya stood firm with a series of heroic saves to preserve Arsenal’s narrow lead. In the 86th minute, Sunderland used another change, with Eliezer Mayenda replacing Lutsharel Geertruida. Arsenal then made a late tactical substitution, bringing on Cristhian Mosquera for Eberechi Eze in the 87th minute.

The announcement of seven minutes of added time in the 90th minute set the stage for a grand finale. In the 94th minute, the Stadium of Light erupted as substitute Brian Brobbey snatched a dramatic equalizer. The goal came from a ball headed down by Ballard, which Brobbey finished with an acrobatic volley past Raya. Arsenal pushed desperately for a winner, and Mikel Merino had a golden opportunity from close range in the 90+6th minute, only for Dan Ballard to make a crucial block that resulted in a corner. The final whistle was blown soon after to confirm a thrilling 2-2 draw, denying Arsenal all three points.