Arsenal twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Manchester City in a tense Premier League encounter on Sunday and stay seven points behind the fourth-placed visitors.
Against a background of fan discontent over the form of Arsene Wenger’s side as he decides his future, Arsenal were nervy from the start and fell behind in the fifth minute when Leroy Sane rounded keeper David Ospina and finished elegantly.
Theo Walcott levelled from close range in the 40th minute at the Emirates Stadium as City lost their intensity, but Sergio Aguero restored the visitors’ lead two minutes later after being picked out by David Silva before finishing with aplomb.
Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi again restored parity eight minutes after the break when he rose above Nicolas Otamendi to head Mesut Ozil’s corner past keeper Willy Caballero, but both neither side could find a winner.
The draw takes City, who visit Chelsea on Wednesday, on to 58 points, five clear of fifth-placed Manchester United, who have a game in hand, and a point behind Liverpool, who have played a game more than Pep Guardiola’s side.
Arsenal, in sixth, now have 51 points and are in danger of missing out on a top-four finish for the first time since 1996. They will bid to end a three-game winless streak in the Premier League when they host West Ham United on Wednesday.
SWANSEA 0 MIDDLESBROUGH 0
Swansea City missed the opportunity to pull away from the relegation zone when they were held 0-0 at home by Middlesbrough in a tetchy encounter on Sunday.
Swansea had conceded 63 goals before the visit of their fellow strugglers, but even the home side’s defensive failings could not prompt an improvement from goal-shy Middlesbrough, who have now drawn 0-0 on six occasions this term, a league high.
Swansea’s Gylfi Sigurdsson looked the player most likely to make something happen, but a thumping effort from outside the area was saved spectacularly by Victor Valdes on 64 minutes, while a free kick by the Iceland international flew just wide four minutes from time.
The draw pulls 18th-placed Swansea up to 28 points, one clear of the relegation zone ahead of the visit of Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, while Middlesbrough, in 19th, move up to 23 points, five off safety.
Boro, who have not won in 12 league games, visit Hull in midweek