Express & Star

Arsenal drop valuable points as Brighton claim draw through Joao Pedro penalty

The result leave Mikel Arteta’s side five points adrift of leaders Liverpool.

By contributor By PA Sport staff
Published
Joao Pedro celebrates scoring for Brighton against Arsenal (Jonathan Brady/PA)
Joao Pedro scored Brighton’s equaliser from the spot just past the hour mark against Arsenal (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Arsenal dropped points in their bid to keep pressure on Premier League leaders Liverpool as Joao Pedro’s penalty saw them held 1-1 at Brighton.

Seventeen-year-old Ethan Nwaneri put the Gunners ahead in the 16th minute but they were denied a fourth successive victory by Pedro’s penalty just past the hour after William Saliba was penalised for a clash of heads with the Brazilian.

Mikel Arteta’s second-placed side are five points adrift of Liverpool having played two games more, ahead of the Reds hosting Manchester United on Sunday, while Fabian Hurzeler’s draw specialists Brighton – this was their 10th in the league this season – stay 10th.

Erling Haaland scored twice as recovering Manchester City made it back-to-back wins by beating West Ham 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium.

After a Vladimir Coufal own goal had put City in front, Haaland – who now has 16 league goals this season – scored either side of the break, and Phil Foden added the fourth before Niclas Fullkrug pulled one back for the visitors.

It is the first time they have recorded two victories in a row since October, although Pep Guardiola’s champions stay sixth in the table.

They are a point behind Eddie Howe’s fifth-placed Newcastle, who extended their winning run to five games in the league and six in all competitions by coming from behind to triumph 2-1 at Tottenham.

Alexander Isak netted a 38th-minute winner, getting on the scoresheet for a seventh league game on the bounce, after Anthony Gordon had cancelled out Dominic Solanke’s early opener.

Ange Postecoglu’s depleted Spurs, now lying 12th, have won only one of their last eight league matches.

Chelsea remain fourth after being held 1-1 at Crystal Palace, making it four games without a win. The Blues led through a Cole Palmer finish just prior to the quarter-hour mark but were denied victory by Jean-Philippe Mateta’s equaliser in the 82nd minute.

Seventh-placed Bournemouth, unbeaten in eight, were 1-0 winners against Everton at the Vitality Stadium courtesy of David Brooks’ goal with 13 minutes of normal time to go.

Aston Villa are eighth having secured a 2-1 home win over second-bottom Leicester thanks to Leon Bailey’s 76th-minute strike, with Ross Barkley having earlier put them in front before Stephy Mavididi replied.

It was a fifth consecutive loss for the Foxes, while doomed-looking basement boys Southampton suffered their 16th defeat in 20 league games this season as they were thrashed 5-0 at home by Brentford.

Bryan Mbeumo notched a brace, the second goal from the penalty spot, and there were also efforts from Kevin Schade early on plus Keane Lewis-Potter and Yoane Wissa in stoppage time. Mbeumo, Isak and Palmer all now have 13 league goals this season.

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.