Has Joao Pedro just put the final nail in Arsenal's Premier League coffin?

By Alessandro Schiavone at The Amex, Brighton

Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Arsenal

Goals: Nwaneri 16' (A), Joao Pedro 61' (BHA)

Arsenal have extended their ‘invincible’ run to 13 games but not in the way they wanted as Brighton and Hove Albion put a massive dent in their title ambitions by holding them to a useless 1-1 draw.

Ethan Nwaneri gave his adventurous side the breakthrough when, fed into space by Mikel Merino’s dinked assist, he rifled home with the complicity of Bart Verbruggen. The Dutchman looked a bit rusty and certainly didn’t cover himself in glory on that occasion. On a good day he’d have blocked it in his sleep but any goalkeeper can have a stinker or two in a season and that certainly applies to a 22-year old who's still learning his trade.

By scoring, the academy graduate, 17, who Arsenal fans lionize as “one of their own” succeeded where Gabriel Jesus failed minutes before after he saw his effort repelled by ex-Anderlecht keeper's outstretched leg.

Brighton’s response was a 34th-minute ‘slipped' finish by Simon Adingra after an excellent square ball by Matt O’Riley. But Fabian Hurzeler's men were not deflated and refused to use the slippery surface and their lack of killer instinct in Danny Welbeck's absence as an excuse.

Yet a 1-0 lead is always a risky one and the Seagulls were awarded a penalty on the hour-mark when William Saliba inadvertently collided with Joao Pedro instead of hitting the ball.

Cool, calm and collected the Brazilian dispatched his spot-kick to end Mikel Arteta’s men’s three-game winning streak in the league.

Martin Odegaard was then brought on to inject some creativity and connect midfield and attack like only he can do as Arsenal struggled to create chances without talisman Bukayo Saka.

But the game fell flat with tiredness catching up on either side.

Yankuba Minteh and Thomas Partey missed one chance apiece to win the game for their teams late on.

But it coule prove costlier to Arsenal as Liverpool can pull ELEVEN points clear at the top if they win their games in hand against Everton and Manchester United tomorrow.

If that happens there's little Arteta can do. Isak or not.