ARSENAL held up Liverpool’s inevitable title celebrations with a 2-2 draw Crystal Palace at the Emirates.
Liverpool needed Arsenal to lose to grab the title, but Arne Slot‘s side must now avoid defeat against Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday.
Jean-Philippe Mateta scored an unbelievable equaliser[/caption]
Jakub Kiwior opened the scoring for the Gunners inside three minutes[/caption]
Jakub Kiwior – who has stepped up in recent weeks after the season-ending injury to Gabriel – scored his first goal of the season with an incredible 10-yard header to give Arsenal the lead inside three minutes.
Both sides looked cagey with upcoming chances to win external silverware- Arsenal with a Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain coming up and Palace facing Aston Villa in the FA Cup semis on Sunday.
But Eberechi Eze levelled with a super strike, before Leandro Trossard put Arsenal back in front before half-time.
And super-sub Jean-Philippe Mateta then lashed in one of the goals of the season to leave Liverpool fans and players hopeful of a comeback.
Here’s how SunSport’s Jordan Davies rated the Gunners at the Emirates.
DAVID RAYA – 6/10
After being able to snooze his way through the 4-0 win at Ipswich, the Spaniard was put under far more pressure here with several dangerous crosses into his cross early on.
He did not deal with them all that well, flapping at a few.
He was then nearly chipped from 35 yards out after his poor pass to Adam Wharton was hit first time only to be blocked.
A vital touch on the hour mark was gladly received, tipping it away at the far post to stop two Palace players from heading in, and another sharp stop from a flicked corner.
But then with eight minutes left, his bizarre positioning allowed Mateta to capitalise on an error and chip in off the bar into an empty net.
MYLES LEWIS-SKELLY – 7
Seems to cruise through games right now without a care in the world, spending more time as a midfielder than a left-back.
He appears to have also mastered the art of winning a foul at the age of just 18, halting Palace momentum on numerous occasions when the side needed a breather.
Shout out to one brilliant moment when he managed to bump the giant that is Mateta off the ball, getting a huge roar from the home fans.
WILLIAM SALIBA – 6
At times looked like his cool, calm and majestic self, but showed rare signs of fragility with the speed of Eze and the trickery of Eddie Nketiah to contend with.
Set-pieces also proved a problem for Saliba – and the entire back four in fairness.
And then, a real costly, dithering error that put Martin Odegaard in all sorts of trouble against Mateta, who then nicked the ball and brought the scores level.
A rare off night, even if he did make a great block to stop Ismaila Sarr flicking in an injury-time winner.
JAKUB KIWIOR – 8
Manners maketh the man, and minutes maketh the player. Jakub Kiwior has been crying out for several games on the spin in his favoured position of centre back to really build up a head of steam.
In the past, he has been used sparingly and shunted out to full-back.
But right now, with Gabriel out of the picture until the start of next season, the Pole is finally showing us what sort of a player he can be.
A fine header inside three minutes to give Arsenal the lead and produced a stunning block in the six-yard box to deny Nketiah when he looked destined to score.
Before there was doubt, but now he will be one of the first names on the teamsheet to face Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League semi-final first leg next week.
JURRIEN TIMBER – 7
Another occasional victim of Eze’s pace and was made to work hard, arguably more than he was made to at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid last week.
The Dutchman still had time to grab an assist, slipping inside on the run and feeding Trossard.
That is quickly becoming a trademark of Timber’s.
THOMAS PARTEY – 7
With talk of a new deal on the horizon and his current one expiring this summer, Partey has been red hot in recent weeks – only to go cold in a dismal first half.
Losing possession and lazy passes galore, this was the Partey of a few seasons ago, one of frustratingly unpredictable form.
He must have had a rollocking at half time – or maybe a quick reminder of a potential job hunt in the coming weeks – because he emerged from the break a different player.
Calm on the ball under pressure, dictating from deep and juggling balls over opposition heads for fun. This is the Partey everyone loves to see – and one Arsenal will miss next week with his suspension for the first leg against PSG.
The bonus is that a player with a shocking injury record now has 10 days to rest and recover.
DECLAN RICE – 7
The levels have been raised after mullering Real Madrid over two legs, so we can put this one down as a quiet night at the office for Rice.
He spends much more of his time in games higher up the pitch, wanting to get on the end of things in attack instead of collecting from deep.
But Arsenal were not at their fluid dominant best, so the Englishman got lost at times in no-man’s land, even if his presence and leadership remained important throughout.
MARTIN ODEGAARD – 6
Decent pass for Gabriel Martinelli near end of half that put him through on goal but another unwelcome outing from Arsenal’s skipper.
It is hard to describe, but he just looks and feels off it. The vibes aren’t right. He is relied upon to create some magic, but the magician keeps fumbling with his wand.
Had a part to play in Palace making it 2-2, slipping near Mateta as the Frenchman scored a stunner. Odegaard needs to wake up as Arsenal approach crunch time in Europe.
RAHEEM STERLING – 5
It is tempting to give Sterling a lower score and really lambast him for yet another forgettable performance that highlights his stunning decline on the Premier League stage, and why he will not be missed when his loan from Chelsea ends next month.
But you have also got to feel sorry for the guy – spending most of his weeks sitting on the bench twiddling his thumbs and counting the number of stitches in his leather seat, only to suddenly be flung into the action without warning and expected to perform to the levels he hit at Liverpool and Manchester City in yesteryear.
But this is not the same Sterling. You can see why Arteta is reluctant to use the winger because of his disappearing act when he does take to the field.
All aspects of his play – his dribbling, his passing, his attacking intent – is negative and tepid.
But it is also Arteta who should take the blame for not giving him a long enough run earlier in the season to ensure he could be called upon for moments like this to offer something fresh and exciting. The opposite is currently true of Sterling right now.
GABRIEL MARTINELLI – 6
A disallowed goal and a few darting runs, but that was about it from the Brazilian.
This is the constant frustration with Martinelli. He can have some golden moments, scoring a truly spectacular solo goal away at the Bernabeu.
But that is not enough if you want to be a world class winger. You need to be doing it week in, week out, not picking and choosing based on your mood or the opponent.
It was summed up in injury time as he squandered a glorious chance, shanking into the side-netting with the pressure on.
Martinelli is a talented, hard-working winger. But is he a ruthless winner? The jury is out.
LEANDRO TROSSARD – 8
If the past week or so has been his audition to start up top against PSG, then he surely has passed? Another goal after two at Portman Road on Sunday.
He offers something different to Mikel Merino in that No.9 role. Physicality? No. Cleverness? Yes, sneaking into pockets of space and firing from angles that defenders hate.
Will it be good enough to reach a Champions League final? It is yet to be seen, but the Belgian is at least going into it full of confidence and with a taste of goals.
SUBS:
BUKAYO SAKA (STERLING, 59) – 6
An instant impact and should have made it 3-1 with a smart volley that was brilliantly saved by Dean Henderson. Could not conjure up a rescuing act off the bench this time.