Wilfried Zaha sparked Crystal Palace’s comeback against Arsenal as the club came from two goals down to earn a point against their London-rivals.

The winger was originally booked by referee Martin Atkinson for simulation in the box before VAR got involved to award the Eagles a penalty which kickstarted their revival.

Arsenal broke the deadlock in the seventh minute with their first shot on target as Wayne Hennessey flapped at a corner before Gary Cahill’s clearance eventually fell to Sokratis who volleyed the ball into the ground and past Parick van Aanholt at the near post. 

The Gunners didn't hang around for their second as they scored from another corner two minutes later when Nicolas Pepe’s corner was flicked on by Alexandre Lacazette towards the back post where David Luiz prodded the ball home from a couple of yards out. 

Lacazette almost added a third another two minutes later when new signing Keiran Tierney’s low cross found the Frenchman in the box but Hennessey got down well to keep the deficit at two goals. 


 

Zaha’s claim for a penalty in the 30th minute was originally turned down by the referee with the Ivory Coast international being booked for simulation after Callum Chambers brought him down but after a VAR review the decision was overruled and a penalty was awarded.

Palace captain Luka Milivojevic never looked in doubt as he stepped up to take the resulting spot-kick and the midfielder delivered as he calmly stroked the ball into the net past Bernd Leno. 

Arsenal started the second half very poorly and were punished seven-minutes in when James McArthur dinked an inch-perfect cross to Jordan Ayew at the back post where the striker nodded the ball into the net to equalise. 

Lacazette almost got the winner for Arsenal with 20 minutes left to play when he was played through by Luiz but the striker’s shot ricocheted off the post from an acute angle. 


VAR once again popped up for Palace when they needed it most as Sokratis’ second goal was disallowed seven minutes from fulltime after Chambers appeared to foul Milivojevic in the box after the corner was delivered.

Despite Arsenal continuing to threaten for a winning goal Hennessey and the Palace defence kept the Gunners at bay.