Arsenal blew a chance to make up significant ground on Premier League leaders Liverpool with a disappointing 1-1 draw at Brighton.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, Premier League runners-up over the past two seasons, travelled to the south coast on Saturday hunting a fourth straight league win.
Seventeen-year-old Ethan Nwaneri, in for the injured Bukayo Saka, put them on course for all three points in the first half.
But Joao Pedro levelled from the penalty spot following a clash of heads between the Brazilian and William Saliba just after the hour mark, prompting a furious reaction from Arteta.
“We’re also very disappointed with the penalty and the way it was given,” Arteta said. “I’ve never seen that in my life, and Saliba touches the ball, so it’s never a penalty for me.”
Arsenal’s William Saliba fouls Brighton & Hove Albion’s Joao Pedro to concede a penalty [Dylan Martinez/Reuters]
The 1-1 draw means the second-placed Gunners are five points behind Liverpool, having played two games more, with Arne Slot’s in-form leaders hosting crisis-hit Manchester United on Sunday.
“We knew it was going to be competitive and challenging,” added Arteta. “But we did compete, and it wasn’t our best day.
“We’re playing every three days as well, and today we lost too many simple things. Doing the simple things, we have to do them right, and today wasn’t to those standards.”
Man City return to winning ways against West Ham
Manchester City, who beat Leicester last week for just their second win in 14 games, have now won successive matches for the first time since October after pummelling West Ham 4-1 earlier on Saturday.
The defending champions took an early lead against West Ham through a Vladimir Coufal own goal and Erling Haaland headed in Savinho’s deep cross shortly before the break.
The Norwegian claimed his second 10 minutes after the interval, dinking the ball over Alphonse Areola after a fine pass from Savinho, to take his league haul to 16 goals, one behind Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.
Phil Foden made it 4-0 before Niclas Fullkrug grabbed a consolation for Julen Lopetegui’s men, who suffered a 5-0 mauling by Premier League leaders Liverpool last week.
Despite their shocking run of results, sixth-placed City are just two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, but Guardiola said his team were still not back in the groove.
“I’m very pleased for the result, but you cannot ask me if the old City is back,” he said. “If you saw the game, we are not.
“You saw many times during the years what we have done with the opponents.”
Aljzeera
