Arsenal's hopes of closing the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool were dashed as they were held to a 1-1 draw away to Brighton.
Ethan Nwaneri gave the visitors the lead in the first half, but Joaquin Pedro scored from the penalty spot to give the hosts a deserved equaliser.
Perhaps Mikel Arteta's side left the south coast after a spirited second half from Fabian Hurzeler's side secured their first win in seven.
But with five of those games drawn, it is perhaps surprising that the Seagulls could take a point from a game that was more interesting than exciting.
This result moved Arsenal five points clear of Liverpool, but with two games to go, Liverpool were less than that.
Currently, Brighton have moved up to 11th place.
Sharing points in Brighton.
A chance to open the page quickly on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/OvxH20cvqa
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 4 2025
How does the action appear?
Nwaneri opened the scoring after quarter of an hour in his second Premier League start of the season. The teenager finished well after joining Declan Rice and Mikel Merino on Arsenal's right.
From there, The game is hugely different. Two teams with similar possession patterns appear to cancel each other out.
Ethan NWANERI 🔥
The 17-year-old midfielder is leading Arsenal in just his second Premier League start. pic.twitter.com/NnXFZfrDfq
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 4 2025
It felt like a battle of brains rather than brawn. The brilliant Simon Adingra had a chance for the hosts just after the half-hour mark, but the Ivorian equalized and fired wide.
Arsenal got the upper hand and Marino headed home from a corner.
In the second half, both sides made substitutions. But the pace of the game remains the same.
But just before the hour mark, the pendulum swung in Brighton's favor when William Saliba was awarded a penalty after challenging Joao Pedro for a header in the box.
In a remarkable twist, Pedro flicked the ball over before catching Saliba's head as the Brazilian turned away.
Pedro, like Joachim, converted to draw Arsenal. 🎯 pic.twitter.com/dbI6H0E9dv
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 4 2025
Referee Anthony Taylor was hesitant at first, but eventually prevailed. The hosts' No.9 found himself on the receiving end and confidently dispatched a penalty to level the score.
Brighton went close to taking the lead when Yankuba Minteh's cross narrowly eluded Kaoru Mitoma.
It proved to be the last chance in what was clearly a thrilling game.