Why Arsenal’s draw with Sunderland isn’t a disaster despite Man City’s win

Arsenal's outstanding run of winning form was ended dramatically on Saturday as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Sunderland after the Black Cats levelled matters in stoppage time.

The manner in which the tie was equalled massively increased the sombre feeling among the fanbase as let's be honest, there's not many things worse in football than conceding in added time.

While Mikel Arteta's side remain top of the table, matters were made worse a day later as Manchester City defeated Liverpool in rather convincing fashion, winning 3-0 at the Etihad. In a game between two of their main title rivals, a draw would have been the most beneficial result for Arsenal, but instead their lead at the summit has been cut to just four points.

With the international break imminent, Gunners fans will have two weeks to ponder on their side's title hopes and there will likely be plenty of panic among supporters. However, things are still looking good for Arsenal and their draw at Sunderland isn't completely disastrous.

Why Arsenal’s draw with Sunderland isn’t a disaster despite Man City’s win

Drawing just your second game 11 matches into the season isn't a disaster, especially when you're top of the league. That is fortunately the case for Arsenal as they still maintain a four-point advantage over second-placed City despite the latest weekend of football not going their way.

Conceding an equaliser in stoppage time to bring an abrupt end to a five-game winning run (10 in all competitions) in the league will always feel like a defeat, but taking a point from a contest where they were well matched by their opponents at a tough ground isn't a bad result.

City securing a dominant win over Liverpool did that feeling no favours as they crept a bit closer to the Gunners at the top. Regardless of the failure to beat Sunderland and City getting nearer as a result, the draw in the North East is no disaster, but a simple bump in the road.

A trip to the Stadium of Light was always going to be difficult for Arsenal and it's safe to say as they aimed to continue their 10-game winning run, it looked like there had to be a small slip-up sooner rather than later.

There is no shame in being held to a draw by the Black Cats. Since achieving promotion last season, they have lost just twice in their return to the Premier League and are yet to lose at home, taking 11 points from five games on their turf before meeting the Gunners.

Arteta's side were well matched by Sunderland on the day and the final result certainly reflected the performance put in by either teams. It could have been a lot worse as having initially gone behind, they could have gone

A draw against a side that are in good form and performed well on the day is far from a disaster. Arsenal's previous form has kept this from being a complete crumbling moment. There is potential for the stalemate to be such, but if the Gunners can bounce back after the international break and maintain their lead at the top, this will be quickly forgotten.