Olivier Giroud celebrates his goal with Danny Welbeck, on Sunday. (Getty Images)

London: A stoppage time goal by a heavily-bandaged Martin Skrtel spared Liverpool another deflating defeat as they drew 2-2 at home to Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.

Inferior for most of the match, Arsenal had led with goals from French duo Mathieu Debuchy and Olivier Giroud after Philippe Coutinho had put the hosts deservedly ahead.

However, Skrtel, who required six minutes of treatment on a head wound, thundered in a late header from Steven Gerrard’s corner to deny Arsenal.

Despite failing to secure all three points, Arsenal moved back into sixth spot with 27 points from 17 games, four behind fourth-placed West Ham United.

While Arsenal have now lost just once in their last seven meetings with Liverpool, Sunderland have won four in a row against north east rivals Newcastle United after Adam Johnson's late goal earned them a 1-0 win in the day’s other fixture.

A riveting Tyne-Wear derby at St James Park featured more than 30 attempts on goal, but Johnson’s was the only one to find the net a minute from time to give Sunderland only their third win of the season and lift them away from danger.

Liverpool, languishing in mid-table, lost 3-0 at Manchester United the previous weekend when they created chances at will. It was a similar story against Arsenal as they completely dominated the opening half with some attractive passing.

When Coutinho finally punished a sloppy Arsenal after 45 minutes it was the least they deserved. But the defensive gremlins that have also undermined Liverpool’s season returned immediately as Debuchy headed an unlikely equaliser in first-half stoppage time.

Giroud struck what looked like being the winner after a slick Arsenal counter-attack. Liverpool had substitute Fabio Borini sent off shortly after coming on and their cause looked lost until Skrtel's late intervention earned them a point to move them above Merseyside rivals Everton into 10th place.

Alan Pardew suffered the ignominy of becoming the first Newcastle United manager to lose four successive Tyne-Wear derbies against Sunderland after Adam Johnson's late goal subjected his team to more misery against their arch-rivals.

In a frenetic, feisty and highly-charged north-east derby, it was Johnson who again proved the thorn in Pardew’s side when he applied an emphatic finish after a slick Sunderland counter-attack.

It was the 27-year-old’s third successive derby goal — against his boyhood club — at St James’ Park which inflicted Pardew with the unwanted record.

“Losing four times in a row against Sunderland is a tag that is going to stick on me now so I will have to wear it,” Pardew, who has only beaten Sunderland once in eight attempts since taking over in December 2010, told Sky Sports.

Ninth-placed Newcastle’s season has been one of great inconsistency. After seven winless league games to start the season, five successive victories helped disperse the almost insurmountable discontent that had threatened to engulf St James’ Park.

Newcastle’s winning run gifted the 53-year-old a temporary reprieve from the circling vultures branding ‘Pardew Out’ placards, but the Magpies have won just once in five games since then.

Despite ending Chelsea’s unbeaten start to the season earlier this month, Pardew, who has endured a volatile relationship bordering on the irreparable with Newcastle's Toon Army, knows he must remain resolute.

“Criticism that might come my way or the team’s way, we will have to accept,” Pardew added. “We can’t listen or absorb it, we have to prepare ourselves for the next game.”

Newcastle travel to in-form Manchester United on December 26.

On Sunday, with a minute remaining, and just after Moussa Sissoko had almost won it for hosts Newcastle, Johnson slammed a shot past keeper Jak Alnwick to wrap up a fourth successive win for Sunderland in the fixture.

Johnson has scored on his last three visits to Newcastle and his goal earned Sunderland a third league victory of the season to lift them to 14th place with 19 points.

Newcastle, who have lost three matches in a row in all competitions since beating leaders Chelsea, are ninth on 23.

“We’ve won three years in a row now, they must hate me here, three wins, three clean sheets,” Johnson said.

“It’s a personal favourite of mine coming to play here, it’s a great atmosphere and the crowd all seem to rise to the occasion. I missed a chance earlier and I would have been devastated if I’d missed that one at the end.”