Dan Ballard shares how he really feels about Arsenal as a club after Sunderland draw

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Dan Ballard will be the talk of the town in the Premier League as he outshone Granit Xhaka as the duo welcomed their former club, Arsenal, to the Stadium of Light.

The former Arsenal defender managed to grab a goal and assist as Sunderland snatched a late point away from Mikel Arteta’s team.

The 26-year-old set up Brian Brobbey in the 94th minute after Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard’s goals had managed to turn the game on its head.

Following the 2-2 draw, Ballard has been discussing his former club and how much it meant to find the back of the net.

Dan Ballard hails Arsenal after Sunderland’s late draw

Dan Ballard has been full of praise for Arsenal in the aftermath of the 2-2 draw and claimed the club will ‘always have a special place in my heart’.

The Arsenal academy graduate played a decisive role in the match, with a goal, an assist and a huge block towards the end to keep the point intact.

Earlier in the season, Ballard also scored on his Premier League debut and has been a key player for Regis Le Bris’ team this season.

Now, against his boyhood club, the former Arsenal youngster added to his tally for the season and spoke about what the North London club means to him.

Ballard told BeIN SPORTS: “Goals feel great, but the block was probably more important in the end! It got us to that point in the end.

“Yeah, I spent 10-12 years there, my whole childhood there, really. They taught me everything. I’ve got friends for life and some great coaches there, so I’ll always have a special place in my heart for Arsenal.”

Ballard, who was dubbed a ‘huge talent’ at Arsenal, left for Sunderland in 2022 for an undisclosed fee, and since then, he has become a fans’ favourite on Wearside.

But once again, it is another Hale End product who is impressing in the Premier League and someone Arsenal fans can be proud to call one of their own.

Granit Xhaka also impressed against Arsenal

In the build-up to the game, there was a lot of focus on another ex-Gunner, Granit Xhaka, and the Swiss midfielder showed his class for the Black Cats.

Xhaka, who Mikel Arteta rates, was superb in the middle of the park against his former team, producing some key moments at both ends of the pitch.

The midfielder won the most tackles during the match, with three, and he also completed more passes than any Sunderland player.

In the end, both teams will be satisfied with a point, as the Black Cats stay in the top four and Arsenal have now moved seven points clear at the top of the Premier League.