Jean-Philippe Mateta’s late goal has seen Crystal Palace earn a 2-2 draw at Arsenal in a Premier League match on Wednesday night, a result that leaves the Gunners 12 points behind Liverpool, who can now win the league with a draw at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Needing a win to leave Liverpool needing a win to seal the league title, Arsenal started the game with a goal after just three minutes thanks to Jakub Kiwior, who rose highest to head in a free-kick from Martin Odegaard.
The goal served as a wake-up call for Palace as the visitors piled the pressure on Mikel Arteta’s side in search of an equaliser, which came in stunning fashion after 27 minutes when Eberechi Eze met an Adam Wharton corner-kick with a fierce volley into the bottom corner.
Former Arsenal man, Eddie Nketiah, came close to putting Palace ahead minutes later only to be denied by David Raya and just as it seemed Arsenal would barely keep the visitors at bay, they took the lead again three minutes before the break.
Leandro Trossard received a through ball from Jurrien Timber, then did well to evade the attention of Palace defenders before curling a deflected shot beyond Dean Henderson for his third goal in four days.
Yet again, Palace piled pressure on the Arsenal goal in the second half in search of another equaliser but Raya kept the visitors at bay. Then Gabriel Martinelli had the ball in the net with 20 minutes left to play, only to have it ruled out as the ball was deemed to have gone out of play in the build-up.
That decision would prove crucial for Palace as Mateta equalised for Oliver Glasner’s side with seven minutes left on the clock after the French striker pounced on a defensive mistake by William Saliba and send a lobbed effort over Raya, who was well off his line.
The draw is Arsenal’s 13th in the Premier League this season, and the ninth time that the Gunners have shared the spoils in a league match they were leading; the joint most by a team in a season with Spurs in the 2007-08 campaign.