Arsenal left it late to rescue a 2-2 draw with Hull City at the Emirates this afternoon, scoring a 91st-minute equaliser to share the spoils in North London.
Alexis Sanchez gave the Gunners the lead in the first half, but Mohamed Diame levelled things up shortly afterwards, while Abel Hernandez completed the turnaround within a minute of the restart.
There was to be late drama, though, as Sanchez weaved his way through the defence to set up Danny Welbeck, who found the bottom corner in the first of six minutes added time.
You can read how an entertaining 90 minutes unfolded courtesy of Sports Mole's live minute-by-minute coverage below.
Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's Premier League clash between Arsenal and Hull City at the Emirates Stadium. These two sides last met in the FA Cup final as the Gunners launched a fine comeback to end their nine-year trophy drought after extra time at Wembley, and hopefully we will see a similarly action-packed game today. Let's start with a look at the hosts...
Arsenal have not had an easy time of things so far this season, with injuries plagued Arsene Wenger's side and leaving the Frenchman short of options, particularly at the back. They currently sit eighth in the Premier League table, and only once before under Wenger have they made a worse start than their 10 points from seven games so far this campaign. The Gunners are considered slow starters anyway, but that will worry the fans that it is their joint-second worst start since Wenger took charge.
The main saving grace for Arsenal is that the teams expected to be the challengers for a Champions League place have also been dropping points regularly, with the exception of Chelsea. Arsenal are just one point off fourth place and have already faced tricky tests against the likes of Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, so things should get easier for them in the coming weeks.
However, they entered the campaign hoping to launch a title challenge, and they already find themselves nine points behind runaway leaders Chelsea following their 2-0 loss to the Blues before the international break. In current form, it is tough to see Arsenal clawing that gap back against such a strong Chelsea outfit, so while there have only been seven matches so far this season, the difference to the top may already be unassailable.
One of Arsenal's biggest issues last season was their performances in the big games, and that defeat to Chelsea did nothing to suggest that Wenger has solved that problem. They didn't actually play too badly when in possession, and they had plenty of the ball, but they were so toothless up front and simply could not find a way through Jose Mourinho's side. They failed to have a single shot on target during the match - the first time that has happened to the Gunners for more than a decade.
It should be noted, though, that the Chelsea defeat was their first of the season, and it won't get much tougher for them than playing the league leaders. One of Wenger's main priorities in the coming weeks will be to turn their draws into victories, as only Sunderland have shared the spoils more often than Arsenal so far this season. They may have only been beaten once, but four draws in seven games represents far too many dropped points for would-be title contenders.
They have already been beaten at the Emirates this season, losing out to Southampton in the League Cup, but their undefeated streak in front of their own fans in Premier League games now stretches back 21 matches, all the way to the opening day of last season when Aston Villa won 3-1.
Defence has been an issue for Arsenal so far this season, however, with Wenger often finding himself short at the back. They have kept just one clean sheet all season in the league, in their 3-0 victory over Aston Villa, and have a worrying trend of conceding the first goal too. That will be something Wenger is desperate to change, as his side are more suited to controlling the game rather than chasing it.
Hull will certainly fancy their chances of breaking through a threadbare Arsenal defence this season, particularly as they come into the match in fine goalscoring form. They are one of just three teams to have scored in every single one of their league games this season - along with Chelsea and Everton - while they have scored two goals in each of their last five outings in all competitions.
Hull fans will certainly not need reminding that they also scored twice on their last meeting with Arsenal, and but for a goalline clearance from Kieran Gibbs they would have taken a surely unassailable three-goal lead in the FA Cup final. Both of their goals came inside the opening eight minutes at Wembley, and Steve Bruce will be looking for his side to make another quick start this afternoon.
They were forced to rely on two goals inside the final 30 minutes in their last outing as they went into the international break with an impressive 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace. The Tigers had not been performing badly up until that match, but it was their first victory since the opening day of the season, so will be a weight off the back of Steve Bruce for sure.
A clean sheet will have also been very welcome for Bruce having seen his side concede 11 times in their opening six games. While they are impressing at the other end of the field, they need to tighten up at the back if they are to start picking up the points that some of their performances have merited so far this season. Bruce reverted to a 3-5-2 formation for the Palace game, and it will be interesting to see if that is a tactic he employs more often throughout the campaign.
He has, rather surprisingly, gone with it again this afternoon, which is a brave move against a side with the attacking talents that Arsenal have. It is a positive side from Bruce, although Hull fans will be fully aware how tough a task their team faces this evening, particularly with their away record. They have only won one of their last 12 away games in all competitions, including the FA Cup final against today's opponents.
Their record in the capital is similarly poor, with just one victory on their last 12 visits to London in the Premier League. They have lost nine of those and drawn just two, although their solitary victory did come on the opening day of the season as they beat Queens Park Rangers 1-0 at Loftus Road. Of course, today will pose a bigger test than that, but Bruce will be happy at least to have broken the London hoodoo early this season.
They have not won consecutive matches in the Premier League for more than a year, however. You have to go back to September 2013 to find the last time they were victorious twice in a row, while Arsenal have not lost two league games in succession since January 2013. If that run was to end this afternoon, it would be a major shock and a huge setback for the Gunners.
TEAM NEWS: Right, the teams are in for both sides, and the biggest news as far as Arsenal are concerned is that Nacho Monreal plays in central defence to cover for a number of injuries as suspension. There is also a place for Bellerin at the back, while Oxlade-Chamberlain comes in for the injured Ozil. Hull, meanwhile, start with Jelavic up front once again, with Hatem Ben Arfa also gets the nod. Full team news for both sides coming right up...
ARSENAL STARTING XI: Szczesny; Bellerin, Mertesacker, Monreal, Gibbs; Flamini, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Cazorla; Alexis, Welbeck
ARSENAL SUBS: Rosicky, Ramsey, Martinez, Campbell, Coquelin, Ajayi, Arteta
HULL STARTING XI: Harper; Chester, Davies, Dawson; Elmohamady, Huddlestone, Diame, Robertson, Livermore; Ben Arfa, Jelavic
HULL SUBS: Rosenior, Bruce, Brady, Jakupovic, Ramirez, Quinn, Hernandez
So, what can we make of those two teams? Well, Arsenal's lack of transfer activity in defence has come back to haunt them here, with Monreal being forced to play out of position and the inexperienced Bellerin also starting. Chambers is suspended for today's game having already amassed five yellow cards this season, while Koscielny and Debuchy are both injured. Hull will really fancy their chances of breaking past such an unfamiliar and makeshift backline.
Further forward things are a little more straightforward for Wenger. The Gunners have suffered plenty of injury problems in midfield as well, but they have the depth to cover for it there. Wilshere and Flamini will once again hold the midfield, with the former in particular in fine form during the international break. He will be looking to carry that over and run today's game as he did for England against both San Marino and Estonia.
With Ozil out, Oxlade-Chamberlain comes into the team to join the in-form Sanchez and Cazorla in the trio just behind the striker, and they will look to break forward in support of Welbeck with just three in defence for Hull. If they can find the space behind the wing-backs for the Tigers then it could be an avenue of success for the Gunners, particularly with the pace at their disposal.
That pace is also evident up front with Danny Welbeck, who has overcome a minor niggle that forced him off for England to start this match. He has made a decent start to life at the Emirates since his deadline-day move from Manchester United, but barely got a kick against Chelsea before the international break so will be looking to get back on the goal trail again this time around.
It is also interesting to see injury worries Ramsey, Arteta and Rosicky all on the bench, although Wenger will be wary of using them unless absolutely necessary given their recent time on the sidelines. Hull, meanwhile, have a number of threats on their bench that could come on and change the game should those starting fail to trouble the Arsenal defence. The Tigers are a different proposition now to the one that lost to Arsenal in the FA Cup final, with the likes of Ben Arfa adding flair and trickery to the team.
Both Chester and Davies scored in that FA Cup final in May, and they start alongside Dawson in a three-man defence this afternoon. Further forward, Elmohamady has shaken off a back problem and is fit to start, with Diame will be looking to continue his own good recent form having scored three times in four matches for the club. That, incidentally, is the same amount that he managed in 25 games for West Ham United last season.
Jelavic is another who has stepped up a gear from last season, with his strike against Crystal Palace giving him his fourth goal of the season. That also equals his tally for the last campaign, although he has reached it in just seven games this time around, rather than the 25 outings it took him in 2013-14. He will certainly be fancying his chances of adding to that against such a makeshift Arsenal defence too.
PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes from kickoff at the Emirates, which means that it is time for a prediction! The Gunners were well beaten last time out, but they can expect to have more joy going forward today than they did against Chelsea. The defence will be a worry, particularly with Hull's good recent scoring form, but Arsenal should have enough about them to pick up all three points here. I'll go for a 3-1 win for the Gunners.
In truth, given Arsenal's injury problems, they will be happy with scraping a victory this afternoon. The Sports Mole Sofa doesn't think that will be the case, though, with predictions of a fairly comfortable home win. Find out what we had to say in our preview below:
The recent history between these two sides points firmly to an Arsenal victory, with the Gunners having won their last seven meetings in all competitions, scoring 18 goals and conceding just five. Five of those victories have come in the league, with Arsenal winning every meeting since being beaten in their first ever top-flight clash in September 2008.
The corresponding fixture last season finished 2-0 to the Gunners, with Bendtner and Ozil on the scoresheet in December. Of course, the last meeting between the sides was that FA Cup final, when Cazorla, Koscielny and Ramsey netted to complete a comeback and pick up the Gunners' first piece of silverware for nine seasons.
As the Premier League returns there are, of course, a host of other fixtures on offer for you today, and we have each and every one covered on Sports Mole. I will also be keeping you up to date with major events from around the country on a day that has already seen Manchester City beat 10-man Spurs 4-1 in an action-packed game. There were a record-equalling four penalties in that one, two of which were missed, while Sergio Aguero scored all four of City's goals.
TEAM NEWS: A blow for Hull in the warm-up as Jelavic has been forced out of the starting lineup having picked up a late injury. Abel Hernandez comes into the side as a replacement, but that is a major blow for the Tigers.
KICKOFF: Here we go then! Arsenal get us underway at the Emirates as they look to return to winning ways despite being in the midst of an injury crisis. Can they do it or will Hull pull off a shock?
Slow start to the match as both sides look to ease themselves into it. Arsenal are seeing most of the ball, as expected, but Hull are doing a good job of pressing high up the field right now.
CHANCE! Good early chance for the Gunners to break the deadlock as Wilshere gets his side moving forward. Sanchez picks up a pass on the right wing and beats his man before standing the ball up in the middle, and Wilshere attacks it really well but puts his header wide. He should have done better there.
SAVE! At the other end, Hull's height that caused Arsenal so many problems in the FA Cup final strikes again. The ball is floated over to Dawson at the back post, and he climbs higher than Bellerin to nod an effort straight at the keeper.
SAVE! This is end-to-end stuff right now! A ball is played over the top for Welbeck, whose first touch makes a shot possible inside the box. The angle is against him, but his effort is only parried by Harper, who then recovers to block the follow-up.
Arsenal are starting to find space behind the Hull wing-backs here. Oxlade-Chamberlain is given plenty of room on the left and has time to pick out his cross, but his low ball into the middle is cut out by the keeper.
SAVE! Harper is again called into action, and it is a superb stop from the veteran. Cazorla worked himself space to shoot from around 25 yards, and his curling effort was destined for the top corner until Harper pushed it over with a fingertip stop. That is a really good save.
Welbeck is certainly not short of confidence. The ball drops out of the sky and, from a tight angle, the striker looks to hook a volley Zidane-style into the top corner. It doesn't come off, but it was worth a go.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Hull (Alexis Sanchez)
The Gunners break the deadlock and, in truth, it has been coming. It is a superb solo strike from Sanchez, who danced past Davies before drilling a low effort into the far bottom corner from a tight angle. Harper may feel like he could have done better, while Davies was beaten far too easily, but take nothing away from the strike.
This has been very disappointing from Hull so far. They have not got at the makeshift Arsenal defence at all, and the hosts are in complete control right now. It is one-way traffic at the moment and a second goal may not be far away for Arsenal.
CHANCE! Big chance for Arsenal to double their advantage as the ball deflects kindly for Gibbs, who manages to get in behind Dawson. His cut-back finds Oxlade-Chamberlain in acres of space inside the box, but Davies comes flying across to make a cracking block.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 Hull (Mohamed Diame)
Out of nowhere, Hull are level! It is a controversial one, and the Arsenal players are furious that it has been allowed to stand, but it is a fourth goal for Diame for Hull. He burst forward from midfield but appeared to tug Flamini back in order to keep hold of the ball, which is what Arsenal are unhappy about. Take nothing away from the finish though, it was beautifully composed as his chipped the ball over Szczesny.
Arsene Wenger will have plenty to say about that goal after the match, you can be sure of that. In truth, it did look like a foul and Roger East looks to have got that one wrong, but it stands nonetheless and Arsenal need a response now.
The hosts look to do just that as they come forward again, with Welbeck teeing the ball up for Cazorla on the edge of the box. The Spaniard puts plenty behind his effort, but it is well blocked.
UPDATE: There have been a number of goals elsewhere in the Premier League too, with Southampton racing into a 2-0 lead over Sunderland courtesy of a Vergini own goal and a Pelle strike. Oscar has given Chelsea the lead against Crystal Palace, while Everton lead Aston Villa thanks to Phil Jagielka's goal.
Arsenal have responded well to that equaliser, re-assuming control of the match. In truth, they looked to be very comfortable before Diame stormed through, and they have quickly moved back into a authoritative position here.
Hull are being penned back so deep into their own half right now that it is hard for them to muster any sort of attack of their own. Usually they are being forced into aimless 60-yard clearances that give Hernandez no chance against the Arsenal defence.
Better from Hull as they get some possession inside the Arsenal half, allowing the centre-backs to move forward onto the halfway line. Nothing comes of their attack, but it does at least relieve from of the pressure, which has been almost non-stop so far.
SAVE! Cazorla looks to restore Arsenal's lead with another effort from outside the box, but he doesn't get enough on his effort to really trouble Harper. His left-footed strike was rather tame, and the Hull keeper was able to scramble across and make the stop.
It really is hard for Hernandez to have any sort of say on this game right now. He is outnumbered by the Arsenal defence and rarely has any support as he looks to chase down the clearances from those in defence.
The visitors are defending their 18-yard box stoutly here. They seem fairly content for Arsenal to have the ball in front of the defence, but as soon as the hosts approach the penalty area they are packing out the middle of the park.
Arsenal really are in control right now, but there is no way through for them at the moment. They may be better suited trying to draw Hull out and then using their pace to get in behind.
Good chance for the Gunners to test the keeper here as Wilshere skips past Huddlestone, who trips the England international in a dangerous position. The likes of Cazorla and Sanchez are standing over it...
It is Cazorla who goes for it, but he can't repeat his FA Cup final heroics as his strike hits the top of the wall and goes behind for a corner, which is well dealt with.
A worry for Hull here as Harper is holding his arm and looks to be in a lot of pain. He may be forced to come off here and, with McGregor also out injured at the moment, that would leave the Tigers using third-choice keeper Jakupovic.
HULL SUB: Indeed, Harper is unable to continue as he trudges off the field to be replaced by Eldin Jakupovic. Big blow for the visitors.
YELLOW CARD! The first card of the match goes the way of James Chester for a trip on Cazorla, with the referee calling play back having initially tried to play advantage.
There will be three added minutes at the end of this first half.
HALF TIME: Arsenal 1-1 Hull City
The referee brings an end to an entertaining first half at the Emirates, with the sides going into the break all square. The hosts have dominated possession so far and are in complete control of the match, but the scoreline is the one thing that truly matters and, as things stand, it is a point apiece for the Gunners and Hull.
The opening goal came courtesy of a crisp Alexis Sanchez strike after he had danced past Davies far too easily on the right side of the box. The angle appeared to be against the Chile international, but he drilled a fine effort into the bottom corner. Hull responded with a solo effort of their own shortly afterwards, however, as Diame burst through the defence before dinking the ball over the keeper.
There was controversy about the equaliser, however, as Diame pulled Flamini back when the Frenchman appeared to have the situation under control. The Arsenal players immediately surrounded the referee asking for a free kick, but Roger East allowed the goal to stand.
Aside from that, Hull have suffered an injury blow with Harper being forced off having also lost Jelavic in the pre-match warm-up. Harper made a number of good stops in the first half, but on the whole the Hull defence have done a good job of defending their penalty area against wave after wave of Arsenal attacks. The Gunners have applied heavy pressure on the opposition goal throughout, but so far they have only found the one goal.
KICKOFF: Hull get us back underway at the Emirates as they look to hold firm for another 45 minutes, while also potentially nicking another surprise goal of their own. They will be fairly pleased with their performance so far, and a similar 45 minutes could be enough for them to come away with a point.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-2 Hull (Abel Hernandez)
What a start to this second half for Hull! I said they would be hoping to nick a goal, but Bruce could not have dreamt that it would come just 31 seconds after kickoff. It was Huddlestone who hung the ball up in the middle, and Hernandez got himself in front of Mertesacker to plant his header into the corner. The Emirates is shell-shocked!
Arsenal responded well to Hull's opening goal, and they need another quick response here. Hull were resolute in the first half and defended very deep, and with a lead to defend now you can be sure that they will be even more wary of allowing space behind their backline.
Hernandez enjoyed a pretty fruitless first half, spending most of it chasing aimless clearances downfield with no support. However, that goal looks to have given him a spring in his step and he is not giving the Arsenal defence any rest right now.
Hull really are snapping at the heels of Arsenal when the hosts have the ball. It has been a very busy defensive performance from the Tigers so far, and Arsenal are struggling to cope with that right now.
This is not a new situation that Arsenal find themselves in, however. They have been forced to come from behind on numerous occasions already this season, and Wenger can be confident that his side have the character to do so again. Hull will certainly not make it easy for them, though.
Wilshere is looking to take the game by the scruff of the neck here. Every time he gets the ball he is looking to inject a bit of pace into the move and really get at the Hull defence. There is no way through right now, though, with Hull sticking 10 men behind the ball.
The hosts are getting frustrated now, and that is showing in their play. Their passing has been awry on a number of occasions in this second half, while Hull's pressing forcing Arsenal into quick passes that aren't always finding their man.
Poor from Cazorla as Arsenal finally get behind Hull's defence, Oxlade-Chamberlain racing down the right flank and playing the ball across. Cazorla seems to be in two minds as to whether to control it or play a first-time pass, and in the end he doesn't really do either.
The Gunners really need to sort out their passing in the final third. They are making it easier for Hull's defence with some sloppy play as Welbeck struggles to get on the same page as those behind him.
HULL SUB: The visitors make the first change of the afternoon as Hernandez, who wasn't originally meant to be starting the match but has scored the winner as things stand, makes way for Gaston Ramirez.
ARSENAL SUB: The hosts respond with a change of their own, and it is a return for Aaron Ramsey as he replaces Flamini. That is a popular change inside the Emirates.
YELLOW CARD! HUddlestone goes into the book for a trip on Cazorla as the Spaniard looked to capitalise on a terrible free kick from the Hull man.
Worrying signs for Arsenal here as Wilshere goes down in a heap during a challenge on Ramirez. It was a poor tackle from the Englishman, who will pick up a yellow card for his troubles, but he seems to have come off worse.
ARSENAL SUB: Wilshere is able to hobble off, which is a good sign, but he is unable to continue as Joel Campbell replaces him. Wilshere was indeed shown a yellow card on his way off the field.
Wilshere has apparently suffered a twisted knee in that challenge, but the severity of it is not yet known. It is unlikely to be a lengthy absence, but could lead to him missing a couple of games.
The Gunners are starting to pile the pressure on Hull once more, with a couple of corners in quick succession penning them back. The second leads to a Hull breakaway, but Livermore's pass to Ramirez was too short and robbed him of a clear run through to goal.
Desperate defending from Hull as Chester gifts the ball away inside his own half. The Gunners came forward and had plenty of red shirts to work with, but Dawson put in a fine block to concede another corner.
Dawson has had a superb game today, but he may not be able to finish it. He goes down in a heap inside his own box, seemingly after a collision with his own teammate, and looks to have a problem with his leg. That would be a blow for the visitors.
Dawson takes as long as he can on his way off the field, but then soon comes back on, much to the disgust of the fans inside the Emirates. He is still grimacing a little, but he will try to carry on.
UPDATE: It has been a superb day for Southampton, who are now 6-0 up against Sunderland. Everton are three goals to the good against Aston Villa, while Chelsea and West Ham have two-goal leads against Crystal Palace and Burnley respectively.
YELLOW CARD! Cazorla goes into the book for a foul on Elmohamady, who joins the increasing ranks of Hull time-wasters. There didn't look to be a lot in that, it must be said.
Hull have everyone behind the ball now as they continue to frustrate the Gunners, who have simply not had enough in the final third once again this afternoon. Jakupovic has not had a save to make since coming on, despite Arsenal dominating the possession.
HULL SUB: Dawson is down yet again following another fine block. He has thrown himself in the way of everything today, but finally hobbles off to be replaced by Alex Bruce for the final five minutes or so.
Desperation is starting to grow inside the Emirates, with Wenger cutting an increasingly animated figure on the touchlines. Time is really beginning to run out for the hosts now, but they have launched late comebacks already this season.
CHANCE! Big chance for the Gunners to draw level as a cross from deep arrives in the area. Sanchez attacks it really well and gets a good header onto it, but it is straight at Jakupovic, who tips it over the crossbar.
Campbell twists and turns inside the box to create space to dig a cross out, but it is behind Welbeck, whose header goes the wrong way. It drops to Oxlade-Chamberlain on the edge of the area, but his ambitious volley is sliced high and wide of tha target.
Hull have a chance to break clear following another Arsenal corner that comes to nothing. Ben Arfa fires a pass over to Ramirez, who carries it further into Arsenal territory before scuffing a tame effort straight at the keeper.
There will be SIX added minutes at the end of this match. Still time for the Gunners!
GOAL! Arsenal 2-2 Hull (Danny Welbeck)
Arsenal finally have the equaliser! It is superb work from Sanchez as he weaves his way past a number of challenges before slipping a pass to Welbeck inside the area. The striker takes a touch before finding the bottom corner to send the fans wild. There is still time for another too!
SAVE! The Gunners are really knocking on the door now as Cazorla drives a crisp strike straight at Jakupovic, who beats the ball away. It comes back out to Campbell, whose pass across the area is superbly cleared by Davies.
Arsenal continue to poor forward and Hull continue to cling on in these closing stages. Some of the visitors' defending in this match has been magnificent, it must be said. It has had a hint of desperation about it, but they have thrown themselves in the way of everything.
CHANCE! Arsenal almost grab the winner with 10 seconds left as Sanchez picks out Gibbs at the back post. The left-back gets to the pass and pokes it goalwards, but Jakupovic makes a vital stop down low to his right.
FULL TIME: Arsenal 2-2 Hull City
Hull do manage to hang on to a hard-fought draw, although it was so nearly even better for Steve Bruce's side. They initially went behind to a fine Alexis Sanchez strike before Mohamed Diame and Abel Hernandez turned things around to hand the Tigers the lead. However, Danny Welbeck popped up in second-half stoppage time to rescue a point for the Gunners following excellent play by Sanchez.
Right, that is all we have time for this afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for what was a thrilling encounter as Arsenal score late to rescue a point against Hull at the Emirates. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and ratings, which will all be on site shortly. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
Written by
Barney Corkhill
Barney Corkhill
