Crystal Palace Draws with Arsenal, Delaying Liverpool’s Title Celebration
Crystal Palace staged a thrilling comeback to draw 2-2 with second-placed Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, extending Liverpool’s wait to claim the Premier League title for the second time in five years.
Now, a draw against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Sunday will be enough for Liverpool, who leads Arsenal by 12 points, to secure their 20th league title, matching Manchester United’s record.
Both teams were focused on their cup competitions, with Arsenal in the Champions League semi-finals and Crystal Palace at the same stage in the FA Cup, leading both managers to rest key players.
Arsenal took an early lead when center-back Jakub Kiwior scored with a header from a Martin Odegaard free-kick in the third minute.
Crystal Palace looked dangerous in attack but were also shaky defensively. They equalized in the 27th minute with a well-executed set-piece.
Adam Wharton passed the ball to Eberechi Eze, who volleyed it into the ground; it hit the post and went in.
Just before halftime, Leandro Trossard restored Arsenal’s lead with a low shot into the corner after receiving a pass from Jurrien Timber as reported by BBC.
Palace continued to push for another equalizer, with Justin Devenny and Ismaila Sarr both missing good chances with headers.
They finally leveled again when substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta capitalized on a sloppy pass from William Saliba. Mateta skillfully chipped the ball over the stranded Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya for the equalizer.
