Micah Richards says he saw something ‘really strange’ happen to Arsenal during Sunderland draw

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Arsenal’s winning streak was ended on matchday 11 of the Premier League season by Sunderland.

The newly-promoted side are not here to be overlooked, as Sunderland showed when the Gunners visited the Stadium of Light.

Arsenal conceded a goal for the first time since September, ironically having their clean sheet run broken by a former academy talent, Dan Ballard. 

Mikel Arteta was pained by Ballard’s goal and even more so by Brian Brobbey’s, as the Dutchman scored in injury time to deny Arsenal three points. 

• READ MORE: What Arsenal’s academy once said about Dan Ballard actually played out during Sunderland draw

Micah Richards and Gary Lineker were shocked to see Arsenal concede against Sunderland

For the neutral, it was an incredible contest to watch, but for Arsenal fans, it was painful, despite not suffering defeat.

Arsenal’s defence has been so good this season that it was bizarre to see the Gunners concede, with Gary Lineker and Micah Richards both left stunned after David Raya was beaten. 

“You get quite shocked when they concede a goal,” Lineker said of Arsenal on The Rest Is Football podcast.

Co-host Richards agreed, admitting that he thought it was ‘really strange’ to see the Gunners go behind.

“It was really strange because obviously when you’ve got Gabriel and Raya at the back, you’re looking every two minutes, come on, clean sheet, clean sheet.”

Ironically, it was a mishap from Raya and Gabriel that cost Arsenal against Sunderland, as the goalkeeper rushed out and soon after watched the ball cross the line behind him. 

The reaction of pundits and fans when Arsenal conceded says everything that needs to be known about what is thought about the Gunners’ defensive strength this season.

How 2025/26 Arsenal compare after 11 games to the previous three seasons

Though points were dropped and allowed Manchester City to put pressure on Arsenal in the title race, it’s important not to disregard the level that Arteta’s side have been performing at. 

When comparing the 2025/26 Premier League season after 11 games to the previous three campaigns, it’s clear to see where Arsenal have improved.

Arsenal have conceded significantly fewer goals, with the closest being the 2023/24 season, when the Gunners conceded nine after 11 matches.

Conceding two goals against Sunderland wasn’t ideal, but it wasn’t catastrophic, with nothing taking away from the quality Arteta has at his disposal.