Arsenal were minutes away from extending their lead at the top of the Premier League table, but a late equaliser from Sunderland left Mikel Arteta's side disappointed
Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka has taken to social media to send Arsenal a message(Image: SmartFrame/News Images)
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Bukayo Saka has reached out to Arsenal supporters on social media after the Gunners' dropped points at the weekend saw their advantage at the top of the Premier League reduced. Mikel Arteta's team were on the brink of defeating in-form Sunderland when substitute Brian Brobbey netted a stunning 94th-minute overhead kick to devastate the visitors.
The draw brought an end to Arsenal's impressive 10-match winning run and prevented them from setting a new consecutive clean sheet record. Nevertheless, given Sunderland's formidable home form this campaign - the Black Cats remain unbeaten at their own ground - Arteta has reason not to be overly disheartened by claiming a point. Saka expressed his reaction to the outcome on Instagram.
The Arsenal winger wrote: "Tough one to take yesterday. I want to thank all of our supporters that travelled so far, we appreciate you. See you all after the break."
Manchester City cruised past Liverpool 3-0 on Sunday, narrowing Arsenal's cushion over Pep Guardiola's squad to four points, reduced from six at the weekend's commencement. The two championship contenders have already met this term, when Gabriel Martinelli struck a dramatic 93rd-minute leveller to secure a valuable point for Arteta's men against the eight-time Premier League champions.
Arsenal are scheduled to meet City once more in April, an encounter that could prove pivotal in the championship battle with just five fixtures remaining afterwards. Guardiola's team appeared shaky earlier in the season following consecutive losses to Tottenham and Brighton.
However, apart from a 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa, City have bounced back to their top form. On the other hand, Arsenal have only suffered one league loss, a 1-0 setback against Liverpool at Anfield, where Dominik Szoboszlai's long-range free kick made all the difference.
Arsenal conceded two controversial goals against Sunderland to drop points for the first time since mid-September
Arsenal conceded two controversial goals against Sunderland to drop points for the first time since mid-September
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Both City and Arsenal can boast of solid defensive records this season, with the Gunners letting in just five goals compared to City's eight. Both teams also share a plus 15 goal difference.
A potential worry for City is if Erling Haaland gets injured. The Norwegian forward tops the club's scoring charts with 14 league goals this season.
However, their next highest scorers, Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden, and five others, are all tied on just one goal each, leaving a significant gap behind Haaland. Arteta put in a lot of effort during the summer transfer window to bolster his squad, ensuring that when key players are out - such as Viktor Gyokeres currently - others are ready to fill the void.
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