CRYSTAL PALACE 2 ARSENAL 2
Oct 28 (Reuters) – Arsenal’s 11-game winning run ended in a 2-2 Premier League draw at Crystal Palace on Sunday as two penalties by Luka Milivojevic earned the hosts a battling point.
Palace captain Milivojevic, who missed a penalty at Everton last week, converted one just before halftime, after Shkodran Mustafi tripped Cheikh Kouyate, the South London side’s first goal at home in five games this season.
Granit Xhaka equalised with a fierce free kick early in the second half and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a controversial second for Arsenal five minutes later.
Milivojevic’s second penalty six minutes from time earned Palace a point to move Roy Hodgson’s team up to 14th.
Arsenal, who had won 11 successive games in all competitions, stayed fourth but lost ground on London rivals Chelsea who crushed Burnley 4-0.
“I didn’t have doubts, but you feel some pressure after last week when I missed,” Serbian international Milivojevic said.
“I got good power to both and shot both very well so I’m very happy.”
Each team forced good chances as an end-to-end game burst into life after quarter of an hour.
Visiting goalkeeper Bernd Leno, preferred to Petr Cech, was beaten by Wilfried Zaha’s effort which hit the outside of the post, and Andros Townsend put his effort wide.
Arsenal responded with opportunities for Alexandre Lacazette and Hector Bellerin.
Mustafi survived an appeal for a penalty after Jordan Ayew went down but was penalised for his trip on Kouyate and Milivojevic gave the home side a halftime lead.
Arsenal lost Bellerin for the second half, Stephan Lichtsteiner deputising, but they went ahead in a dominant quarter of an hour spell.
Palace were unhappy with the second goal, however, claiming with justification that Lacazette handled before Aubameyang jabbed the ball just over the line.
They shook off the frustration with substitute Max Meyer hitting a post and when Zaha, dangerous as ever, was tripped by Xhaka, Milivojevic did a captain’s job again to end a run of three defeats.
BURNLEY 0 CHELSEA 4
Oct 28 (Reuters) – Chelsea went second in the Premier League with an emphatic 4-0 win at Burnley on Sunday which maintained their unbeaten start to the season.
The London club are two points behind leaders Liverpool and one point ahead of champions Manchester City, who play away to Tottenham Hotspur on Monday.
Maurizio Sarri’s side barely noticed the absence of Eden Hazard as Willian, starting in the Belgian’s normal position on the left, scored and hit a post.
Spanish striker Alvaro Morata gave Chelsea the lead midway through a first half in which he might have netted three times.
England midfielder Ross Barkley set him up for that goal and added the second himself from outside the penalty area early in the second half.
Brazilian Willian curled the third past Burnley goalkeeper Joe Hart five minutes later and substitute Ruben Loftus-Cheek completed the scoring in stoppage-time.
“For 10 minutes it was difficult at the beginning but then we played very well,” said Sarri, who became the first Chelsea manager to go unbeaten in his first 10 league games in charge.
“I am very happy for Alvaro Morata and Loftus-Cheek again.
“At the end, everything is OK. We played very well in full control of the match for the last 80 minutes.”
Burnley’s manager Sean Dyche was left ruing another tough assignment against quality opposition following last week’s 5-0 drubbing at Manchester City.
“We started very well and then we give away a poor goal from our point of view,” he said.
“It was a top side doing what top sides do, they finish clinically.
“We have played two top sides back to back in City and Chelsea, who have delivered top performances and it’s hard to deal with that. We aren’t a million miles away.”
Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart conceded nine goals in the last two games but there was little he could do to repel some fine Chelsea finishing.
Hart had made one fine save from Morata’s header and seen Willian’s drive hit a post before the first goal.
Barkley and Willian’s goals were particularly well taken as Chelsea clocked up 24 goals from their 10 games. Only City with 26 have more.
