Arsenal played out a 2–2 draw with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Saturday to head into the November international break on a disappointing note.
The Gunners hadn’t conceded in 41 days coming into the game, yet they found themselves down in the first half after some sloppy defending. Daniel Ballard latched onto a loose ball in the Arsenal box and fired a shot past David Raya. The visitors turned up the pressure in the second half and got themselves back into the game.
Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard each scored to turn the tie, but Brian Brobbey had the final word. The former Ajax man refused to give up and contorted his body to beat both Gabriel and Raya to rescue a point.
Sunderland have been one of the best stories of the Premier League so far and proved to be a physical match for the league leaders. Arsenal were light in attack, but were defensively shaky in a way fans have not seen so far this term.
Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Sunderland (4-2-3-1)
GK: David Raya—5.3: His long-range distribution lacked quality, but conceding two goals will come as a shock to what has otherwise been the best defence in the league.
RB: Jurriën Timber—6.8: The right back was solid once again, combining in attack with Saka.
CB: William Saliba—6.6: Active on the ball and strong in the air. Better in the second half.
CB: Gabriel—6.4: An uncharacteristic showing from the Brazilian. His frustration after the late equaliser showed he was unhappy with his performance.
LB: Riccardo Calafiori—6.6: Could have scored a late winner, but his header went right at the Sunderland keeper.
DM: Martín Zubimendi—8.2: Strong in midfield, won the most duels in the game. Credited with the assist for Trossard’s goal, though that was mostly the Belgian’s work.
DM: Declan Rice—6.9: Rice marauded through midfield at will and looked decisive. Bizarrely did not take a single corner the entire game.
AM: Eberechi Eze—7.0: Showcased his quick feet at times, but Eze was in and out of the attack.
RW: Bukayo Saka—8.3: A tale of two halves for the Arsenal captain on the day. Sloppy at times, but lethal for Arsenal’s first goal.
ST: Mikel Merino—7.0: Led the line once again given the attacking absences. Worked hard and pressed high, but Arsenal lacked a central presence at times.
LW: Leandro Trossard—7.6: Consistently was a threat with the ball at his feet and did well to score the second Gunners goal on the night.
Subs not used: Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK), Ben White, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Piero Hincapié, Christian Nørgaard, Max Dowman, Andre Harriman-Annous, Ethan Nwaneri
Sunderland (5-4-1)
Starting XI: Robin Roefs; Trai Hume, Nordi Mukiele, Daniel Ballard, Lutsharel Geertruida, Reinildo; Bertrand Traoré, Granit Xhaka, Noah Sadiki, Enzo Le Fée; Wilson Isidor
Subs used: Brian Brobbey, Simon Adingra, Chemsdine Talbi, Eliezer Mayenda
Sunderland 2–2 Arsenal—How It Unfolded at the Stadium of Light
The hosts were up for the occasion to begin the game pressing high to put the leaders under pressure. Any early effort was met by raucous cheers from the crowd.
An errant elbow from Ballard brought the game to an early stoppage as Mikel Merino received treatment on the field. The makeshift striker was deemed fit to continue following a lengthy delay. Arsenal eventually established their patented strings of possession with most play going through Declan Rice.
Granit Xhaka, the former Arsenal man, was a physical and vocal presence throughout. The Swiss captain imposed himself and was constantly around referee Craig Pawson.
Ballard sent the Stadium of Light into a frenzy with the opening goal in the 36th minute. Eight straight Arsenal clean sheets in all competitions came to a thunderous end by the right foot of the centre back. Sunderland were reinvigorated and looked sharper from there on, maintaining their shape and frustrating their opposition.
Narratives that defined Arsenal last campaign were prevalent at the interval—stagnant and unable to decisively break down an organised, low block.
Behind at the interval.
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 8, 2025
Time to up the ante, Gunners. pic.twitter.com/Gg5m3BFjPt
Saka got his side back level less than 10 minutes into the second half after Rice latched onto a loose ball in the Sunderland half. Merino played the captain through for him to fire a right-footed shot past Robin Roefs at his near post. Eze and Zubimendi had half-chances shortly thereafter to establish a lead, but could not find the back of the net. The latter came closest, rattling the crossbar in the second half.
Sunderland made three attacking changes looking for a bit more of a threat, though Arsenal kept piling on the pressure. Trossard eventually found the second goal through a thunderbolt of a shot. The Belgian carefully sized up Noah Sadiki, created a bit of space and unleashed a shot that Roefs was helpless to stop.
Just as it seemed Arsenal would come away with all three points, Brobbey produced an acrobatic effort to beat both Gabriel and Raya. The Gunners threatened from two set pieces, but could not find a last minute winner.
The points were shared at the Stadium of Light in one of the best games of the Premier League season. Arteta will likely draw criticism for his lack of substitutions given the defensive options he had available to see out the tie.
Sunderland vs. Arsenal Half-Time Stats
Sunderland vs. Arsenal Full Time Stats
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Sunderland: Uncharacteristic Performance Stings Leaders.
