Cardiff wore special shirts embroidered with a yellow daffodil, the national emblem of Wales and the team color of French side Nantes, Sala's former club, with a minute's silence observed prior to kick-off.
Bluebirds captain Sol Bamba's second-half volley gave Cardiff the lead only for Jack Stephens to equalize in stoppage-time.
London rivals Crystal Palace and West Ham drew 1-1, with Hammers captain Mark Noble scoring with a first-half penalty before Eagles striker Wilfried Zaha marked his return from suspension with an equalizer 14 minutes from time at Selhurst Park.