Arsenal vs. Hull City: Score, Grades and Reaction from Premier League Game
Danny Welbeck hit a late equaliser to spare Arsenal's blushes as the Gunners drew 2-2 at home to Hull City on Saturday in Premier League action at the Emirates Stadium.
The hosts led early through Alexis Sanchez's fine opener, but Hull equalised within minutes via a controversial Mohamed Diame strike. The visitors went ahead with Abel Hernandez's header on their first attack of the second half and nearly held on for a famous victory.
But after keeping Arsenal at bay for 90 minutes, Hull finally conceded a second goal in stoppage time as Sanchez set up Welbeck for the equaliser. The Gunners then pushed for the winner but had to settle for another draw—their fifth in eight Premier League matches this season.
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
Arsenal dominated possession but struggled to create chances, especially after taking the lead through Sanchez. For their part, Hull took their chances efficiently, creating only a few but twice exposing Arsenal's depleted defence.
The result leaves Arsenal—who had harboured hopes of competing for the Premier League title this season—with just two wins and 11 points through their first eight matches. Arsene Wenger's side trail leaders Chelsea by a massive 11 points and almost certainly have no hope of contending for the title, even with 30 matches remaining in the season.
Arsenal will try to get back on track next weekend at Sunderland, who lost 8-0 at Southampton on Saturday. First, though, the Gunners, travel to Anderlecht in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
Hull, who have 10 points, play at Liverpool next Saturday.
While both the performance and result will have frustrated Wenger, Arsenal were never going to have an easy time against Hull, owing in large part to a mounting injury list. Mesut Ozil, Laurent Koscielny, Mathieu Debuchy, Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott were among the stars names missing out through injury, while Calum Chambers was suspended, leaving Wenger with a selection crisis in defence.
Lacking alternatives, Wenger moved full-back Nacho Monreal in central defence alongside Per Mertesacker, while 19-year-old Hector Bellerin made his Premier League debut at right-back.
In the early stages of the match, it seemed as if Arsenal's unfamiliar defence would not prove a liability. The Gunners controlled the opening exchanges and took the lead through Sanchez's superb solo effort in the 13th minute.
Per Mertesacker won possession just inside Hull's half and quickly passed to Sanchez. Dribbling down the right, Sanchez showed excellent control to beat a defender before shooting low past Harper at the far post from a tight angle.
It had been one-way traffic for the most part to that point, but within four minutes Hull pulled level out of nothing.
In the 17th minute, Diame took possession in the centre and powered through Arsenal's midfield toward the box. The danger appeared to have passed as Arsenal's Mathieu Flamini put himself between Diame and the ball, but Diame pulled back Flamini to win possession.
Arsenal's players protested for a foul, but referee Roger East allowed play to carry on. Continuing his run into the box, Diame held his nerve and finished past Wojciech Szczesny with a delicate chip for the equaliser.
Suddenly, Arsenal's makeshift defence had been exposed. And after heading into half-time still level at 1-1, the Gunners gave up another goal on Hull's first attack of the second half.
Tom Huddlestone set up the chance with a cross floated into the middle from the right. Mertesacker appeared to be in position to clear, but Hernandez out-leaped the 6'6" German and flicked his header into the net past Szczesny for a 2-1 Hull lead.
The visitors then sat back in their own half, content to protect their lead. Arsenal, meanwhile, appeared bereft of ideas and increasingly frustrated in possession. Wenger introduced midfielder Aaron Ramsey in the 63rd minute and replaced the injured Jack Wilshere with forward Joel Campbell six minutes later.
For all their possession, Arsenal failed to create a clear chance until the 87th minute, when Monreal picked out Sanchez with a fine cross from the left. Sanchez made good contact with a sprawling header, but Hull's substitute goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic parried the ball over the bar.
As the match headed into stoppage time, Arsenal seemed doomed to defeat. But a moment of magic by Sanchez in the 91st minute pulled the Gunners level. With Hull's defenders crowding the edge of the box, Sanchez dribbled aggressively into the box before laying off for Welbeck in space. Welbeck took a touch before flicking into the net for the equaliser.
The mood around the Emirates improved immediately, and Arsenal suddenly fancied themselves to find a winner. In the third minute of stoppage time, Cazorla stung Jakupovic's hands with a low drive, and in the closing minutes, the Hull goalkeeper had to parry Kieran Gibb's shot off the line.
But despite the late revival, Arsenal had to settle for a frustrating point. All things considered, though, it could have been worse.
Grades
| Wojciech Szczesny | 5.9 |
| Hector Bellerin | 6.6 |
| Per Mertesacker | 7.2 |
| Nacho Monreal | 7.6 |
| Kieran Gibbs | 7.1 |
| Mathieu Flamini | 5.7 |
| Alexis Sanchez | 9.2 |
| Santi Cazorla | 7.9 |
| Jack Wilshere | 6.3 |
| Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain | 6.7 |
| Danny Welbeck | 8.1 |
| Aaron Ramsey (for Flamini, 63') | 6.3 |
| Joel Campbell (for Wilshere, 69') | 6.4 |
| Steve Harper | 6.8 |
| James Chester | 7.1 |
| Curtis Davies | 7.0 |
| Michael Dawson | 7.7 |
| Ahmed Elmohamady | 6.8 |
| Tom Huddlestone | 7.0 |
| Jake Livermore | 6.6 |
| Mohamed Diame | 7.9 |
| Andrew Robertson | 6.1 |
| Hatem Ben Arfa | 6.8 |
| Abel Hernandez | 7.3 |
| Eldin Jakupovic (for Harper, 43') | 7.1 |
| Gaston Ramirez (for Hernandez, 63') | 6.6 |
| Alex Bruce (for Dawson, 84') | 6.3 |
Post-Match Reaction
