Premier League: How Sunderland stopped the Arsenal machine

It is the two former Arsenal men – Xhaka and Ballard – who perhaps best embody Sunderland’s fighting spirit.

Xhaka was the leader on the pitch, orchestrating things in the middle, while Ballard opened the scoring past David Raya, provided an assist for the equalizer and produced a brilliant block in the final seconds to deny Arsenal victory.

Ballard began his professional career at the Gunners, having been in the club’s academy since the age of eight, but did not make a first-team appearance for them until joining Sunderland in 2022.

“It’s good morale to show that we can play against a really great team – probably one of the best in Europe at the moment – and we’re delighted with that,” Ballard said on Match of the Day after Saturday’s game.

“But that’s just one point and we have a lot of work to do to reach our goal of staying up this year.”

Former England striker Alan Shearer told BBC Match of the Day: “Ballard embodies everything Sunderland did so well, with his aggression and stopping Arsenal’s play.

“They are really, really difficult to play against and there have been so many examples of him and his team putting their bodies on the line. Arsenal won’t have many tougher games than that this season, and Sunderland thoroughly deserved this point.”

The draw means Sunderland remain unbeaten at home and have 19 points from 11 games, on course to avoid relegation as they sit nine points above the bottom three.

“Sunderland were physical today but within the laws of the game, apart from one moment in the first half when Dan Ballard challenged Mikel Merino in the box,” said Match of the Day pundit and former Arsenal striker Theo Walcott.

“They were well organized and I didn’t think they would be able to hold it together for 90 minutes.

“There is a reason why Sunderland will do well in this league. The Stadium of Light is not an easy place to play football.

“That was the most shaken I’ve seen Gabriel and William Saliba this season.”