Arsenal’s Impressive Clean Sheet Streak Comes to an End in Draw Against Sunderland

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

The saying about London buses could not be more fitting for Arsenal. Prior to their match against Sunderland, the Gunners had not conceded a goal in any competition for six weeks, spanning eight matches and 812 minutes. However, just 96 minutes into the game, their defense was breached twice. In a twist of fate, it was one of their own former players who found the back of the net. Daniel Ballard, who now plays for Sunderland, was a captain in Arsenal’s Hale End academy only a year prior and left without making a senior appearance. Fast forward to Saturday evening at the Stadium of Light, where Ballard celebrated a career milestone by scoring the opening goal against his childhood club.

With 35 minutes played, the Black Cats defender surged into the Arsenal penalty area, skillfully controlled the ball with a single touch, and unleashed a powerful right-foot shot that rocketed past goalkeeper David Raya. His jubilant celebration spoke volumes: “This is what you get for letting me go.” Before this match, Arsenal’s formidable defense had conceded just three goals in 16 games. Raya, Gabriel Magalhaes, and William Saliba had been rock-solid this season, with Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori comfortably asserting themselves in their hybrid roles. Liverpool was the only team to have bested them in the Premier League, and that was thanks to a stunning free-kick by Dominik Szoboszlai. However, Sunderland, under the mentorship of Régis Le Bris, have been defying expectations all season.

Those who expected Sunderland to falter against Arsenal were in for a surprise. Arsenal did have their chances against goalkeeper Robin Roefs. Only Saliba knows how he managed to miss from 12 yards following a clever knockdown by Bukayo Saka—if their situations were reversed, it could have been 1-1. Eberechi Eze and Leandro Trossard also created opportunities for the visitors, but Arsenal’s attacking threat was dulled by a string of injuries. Players like Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Martin Odegaard, and Noni Madueke all missed the trip to the North East, leaving Mikel Arteta with only young talents like 15-year-old Max Dowman, 17-year-old Andre Harriman-Anous, and Ethan Nwaneri on the bench. While they are promising prospects, relying on them to maintain Arsenal’s unbeaten streak in a high-pressure stadium full of 50,000 fans was a daunting task.

Perhaps due to this reason, Arteta chose not to utilize his bench, which paid off as Bukayo Saka struck at Roefs’ near post to equalize. The match evolved into an exhilarating back-and-forth contest, with Raya making several crucial saves to maintain parity. However, Sunderland’s resilience was eventually breached spectacularly. Leandro Trossard danced past his marker just outside the box before unleashing a stunning 20-yard strike that found the top corner. A win could have propelled Sunderland into second place, narrowing the gap to Arsenal to just four points. Meanwhile, Arsenal aimed for a comfortable 10-point lead atop the table while Liverpool and Manchester City clashed that weekend.

But the excitement didn’t end there, as Brian Brobbey volleyed in a dramatic equalizer in the fourth minute of stoppage time, igniting frenzied celebrations. At the other end, Ballard again came to the rescue, blocking Mikel Merino’s attempt after a fantastic save from Roefs, ensuring that Sunderland left with a well-earned point. This spirited performance proved that the Black Cats are not going away quietly, having not only ended the league leaders’ eight-match clean sheet streak but also taken points from them.