Premier League: Arsenal, Chelsea drop points 

It was a day of similar fortunes for two of the Premier League’s top teams as Chelsea and Arsenal’s title hopes were dented.

The Gunners drew 1-1 draw with Brighton, while The Blues were held to a 1-1 draw by Crystal Palace.

Brighton players stifled Arsenal

Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge suffered a setback after Joao Pedro’s second-half penalty earned Brighton a 1-1 draw at the Amex Stadium.

The London side had taken the lead through 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri’s early strike, but Pedro’s penalty in the 61st minute levelled the scores.

The result leaves Mikel Arteta’s men five points adrift of leaders Liverpool, having played two games more.

Brighton, meanwhile, deservedly registered a sixth draw of an eight-match winless run.

Nwaneri, who once again deputised for the injured Bukayo Saka, collected Mikel Merino’s pass around 40 yards from goal and ran unchallenged down the right before driving towards goal and calmly slotting under Seagulls goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.

Brighton, who were captained by Brazil forward Pedro in the absence of defender Lewis Dunk, offered little from an attacking perspective in the first half but could have levelled 11 minutes before the break.

After stand-in Gunners skipper Jorginho was dispossessed deep inside his own half, the unmarked Simon Adingra was teed up by Matt O’Riley only to slice horribly wide from close to the penalty spot.

The Seagulls were gifted an equaliser just after the hour mark.

After beating William Saliba to the ball and going down in the box following the subsequent clash of heads, Pedro picked himself up to bury the spot-kick into the right corner, sending David Raya the wrong way.

In the day’s other match, Chelsea’s winless streak in the Premier League extended to four contests as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Cole Palmer’s 13th goal of the season opened the scoring for Chelsea, but Jean-Philippe Mateta salvaged a late point for Palace in the 82nd minute.

The draw means Chelsea have now gone four Premier League matches without a win, while Palace have picked up 14 points from their last 10 top-flight contests.

Palmer’s 14th-minute opener came after Jadon Sancho volleyed over from a cross, while a big tackle by Chris Richards broke up the run of Nicolas Jackson.

But the American defender found himself in trouble soon after, outsmarted by Sancho, who drove down the left and cut in, slipping the ball to Palmer, who slotted through the legs of Marc Guehi.

Ruthless Mateta won a precious point for Crystal Palace

Chelsea nearly scored again soon after, but Jackson’s volleyed attempt from a flicked-on free kick was well wide.

What few spells Palace did enjoy in Chelsea’s final third by the halfway point in the period were stubbornly thwarted, and they were lucky when Pedro Neto could not connect with Palmer’s outstretched foot after deftly working his way to the edge of the six-yard box.

The Blues were firmly in the driver’s seat – save a brief Palace foray that allowed Ismaila Sarr to nod in the direction of Robert Sanchez.

It was not until shortly after the half-hour that the Eagles had another real opportunity, but Moises Caicedo blocked Mateta’s effort through a crowd and Sanchez was able to paw away Eberechi Eze’s volley.

Jackson missed a big chance to pad Chelsea’s lead, beating Maxence Lacroix to the ball from Palmer’s excellent pass, but fired wide.

Palace, who struggled to finish from their chances in the first half of the season, missed another opportunity to equalise early in the second half.

Sarr worked the ball to Daniel Munoz, whose cross found Eze inside the penalty area, but the England attacker flashed wide of Sanchez’s left post.

The Eagles came closer when Richards rose highest from a corner, forcing Sanchez to palm his effort over.

Palace had grown a little more into the game by the time Daichi Kamada replaced Doucoure in the 69th minute, but momentum swung back the visitors’ favour.

Chelsea missed twice more, first from a low Enzo Fernandez effort, just wide, then another off-target attempt from Jackson past the far post.

Munoz stole the ball away and found Mateta, but Levi Colwill slid in for a timely intervention to deny him a chance to equalise with less than 20 minutes remaining.

The Frenchman drew the sides level in the 82nd minute, when Sarr charged up through the centre of the pitch and laid off to Eze.

He in turn squared to Mateta, who comfortably finished from five yards out, the goal standing after a VAR check to rule out a handball in the build-up.

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