Sundays Premier Football Review .

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West Brom 1-1 Arsenal:
Gunners held after late penalty (December 31st 2017)

Jay Rodriguez's last-minute penalty earned struggling West Brom a deserved point against uninspiring Arsenal.

The striker netted after Calum Chambers handled in the area to clinch a 1-1 draw just as it looked like Alexis Sanchez had given the Gunners victory.

The forward's deflected free-kick put Arsenal ahead with seven minutes left in boss Arsene Wenger's record-breaking 811th Premier League game in charge.

Sanchez had been in the spotlight after Thierry Henry suggested there was a dressing-room rift at the Gunners after not all the team celebrated his first goal at Crystal Palace on Thursday.

But, aside from goalkeeper Petr Cech, the entire team ran to Sanchez before Rodriguez struck.

Despite the point the Baggies have now gone half a league season without a victory - 19 games - and will end 2017 joint bottom of the table.

Arsenal rose to fifth above Tottenham but lacked imagination at The Hawthorns and sit 21 points behind leaders Manchester City.

In contrast, Albion are three points from the safety line with boss Alan Pardew still searching for his first win after seven games.

There was little wrong with the hosts' energetic performance though as they conjured the first opening after six minutes when Cech gathered Rodriguez's header.

Arsenal immediately went up the other end and Alexandre Lacazette's drive deflected just wide off Jonny Evans.

Alex Iwobi should have then done better than to curl over after holding off Evans after 15 minutes.

But the Baggies, who have not scored more than two in a top-flight game since beating Arsenal 3-1 in March, matched the visitors.

Yet they did so without a crucial goal and, with Arsenal dangerous on the break, Ben Foster saved from Granit Xhaka and Iwobi.

The hosts had little fear, despite their winless run, but their search for a first-half goal eluded them which should have given the Gunners encouragement.

Yet it was the Baggies who continued to press after the break, with Ahmed Hegazi hooking over, before Arsenal began to create on the hour.

Lacazette and Jack Wilshere had been quiet but they combined with Iwobi to allow Lacazette to skip into the area, only to be denied by Foster's legs.

The France international poked inches wide two minutes later as the visitors suddenly began to open Albion up.

It sparked concerned Arsenal pressure and Hegazi produced a fine block to thwart Sanchez with 20 minutes left.

And Cech beat away Rodriguez's drive before Arsenal stole ahead with seven minutes left.

Gareth Barry upended Sanchez on the edge of Albion's area and the Chile international's free-kick struck James McClean to bounce into the bottom corner.

Albion still claimed a point, though, when Rodriguez beat Cech from the spot in the 89th minute after Chambers handled Kieran Gibbs' cross.

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Crystal Palace 0-0 Manchester City:
Palace miss late penalty in goalless draw (December 31 2017)


Crystal Palace missed a stoppage-time penalty as Manchester City extended their unbeaten run with a goalless draw at Selhurst Park.

Luka Milivojevic's poor effort was saved by the legs of Ederson after Raheem Sterling had been penalised for a foul on Wilfried Zaha, who had appeared to go down under minimal contact.

As City countered, Kevin De Bruyne was on the end of a reckless tackle from Jason Puncheon which saw both men carried off on stretchers as the match came to a breathless conclusion.

Sky Bet made a 0-0 draw as big as 22/1 prior to kick-off and this was another good result for the layers after Swansea had spared them on Saturday.

City head into 2018 with a 14-point advantage over second-placed Chelsea, while Palace are one place outside the relegation zone in 17th.

Their 18 consecutive victories already represented a Premier League record, but Palace's resilience means they fell one short of the European record set by Bayern Munich, also then managed by Pep Guardiola, in 2014.

After a promising start - despite Raheem Sterling's presence among the substitutes - and an injury that cost them Gabriel Jesus from the 23rd minute, City began to struggle for their usual fluency.

Palace's Patrick van Aanholt tested Ederson with a powerful strike from 25 yards that forced the goalkeeper to tip wide, but the visitors otherwise frequently stretched Roy Hodgson's team and were a constant threat on the counter.

Scott Dann cynically brought down Kevin De Bruyne on the edge of the area in the 19th minute, despite having so little chance of winning the ball, and hurt himself making the challenge. The stand-in captain had to be taken off on a stretcher, and replaced by Martin Kelly, a full-back playing out of position in central defence.

When De Bruyne then fed Jesus, who turned on the edge of area before seeing his low shot comfortably saved by the recalled Wayne Hennessey, it seemed a further sign of their growing momentum but instead proved the opposite.

Jesus was almost immediately afterwards substituted in tears, and though Sergio Aguero then came on their goal-threat was not the same thereafter.

The normally devastating understanding between De Bruyne and Leroy Sane was tested by a misplaced pass, and when the Belgian cut back to Aguero in front of goal on the stroke of half-time, he watched the striker shoot wide.

Sterling and Yaya Toure were introduced as second-half substitutes, but amid the hosts' conviction and organisation, only with a half-volley from Sane that struck Hennessey in the face did they come close to scoring.

The in-form Wilfried Zaha created a fine chance for Andros Townsend directly in front of goal with a low cross the winger wasted by shooting harmlessly high and wide, and was then brought down by Sterling in the area.

He had already appeared to have been fouled outside of the area when he went down inside it under Sterling's challenge, but when Jonathan Moss harshly pointed to the penalty spot, City were not punished.

Milivojevic unconvincingly struck his effort down the centre of Ederson's goal, leaving the Brazilian with a comfortable save and ensuring that even if City's winning run was coming to an end, they remain undefeated in the league.
Post-match reaction

Palace boss Roy Hodgson was delighted despite his side's late penalty miss.

"I'm very proud of the team's performance," he said.

"I know how difficult it is to play a team of Manchester City's quality... it was a very pleasing performance and an excellent point.

"Before the game we would have been jumping through hoops at having claimed a point, then you get a penalty late in the game, so there is an element of sadness at a chance missed.

"But I've said to the players: 'continue that level of performance week after week and we've got a good chance of staying in the league'."

Pep Guardiola had no update on the condition of De Bruyne, but said of Jesus: "He will be out for maybe one month or two months."