Joao Pedro’s “unconventional” penalty secured a 1-1 draw for Brighton at home against Arsenal, delivering another setback for the Gunners in their Premier League title race and providing Liverpool with a valuable opportunity to close the gap.
Arsenal entered the match missing key players due to illness, including Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz, while captain Martin Ødegaard was also affected and started the game on the bench. Despite the absences, 16-year-old Ethan Nwaneri made an impact, scoring early in the match to give Arsenal a 1-0 lead in just his second Premier League start. However, he was substituted at halftime for Gabriel Martinelli.
Before the break, Arsenal could have doubled their advantage, but Gabriel Jesus missed a good header from a corner, and Brighton’s Simon Adingra fired a promising chance over the bar at the other end.
Brighton made two changes at halftime, bringing on Georginio Rutter and Yankuba Minteh, which seemed to spark their offensive play. The increased pressure led to a key moment in the 56th minute, when a high ball into the box saw Joao Pedro collide heads with William Saliba. After a review, the referee awarded a penalty, and Pedro calmly converted to level the score at 1-1.
Brighton pushed for a winner, with Minteh’s cross nearly finding Kaoru Mitoma at the far post, but the winger missed the chance by inches. Arsenal responded with only one half-chance from Declan Rice and tame shots from Thomas Partey and Leandro Trossard, showing a lack of attacking threat in the second half.
The draw leaves Brighton in 10th place, while Arsenal’s title challenge takes another hit, now trailing Liverpool by five points, with the Reds holding two games in hand, starting with their upcoming match against Manchester United.
