Manchester City 2, Arsenal 2
John Stones scored a 98th minute equaliser against Arsenal as Manchester City broke down the stubborn 10-man Gunners.
The Gunners had mastered the dark arts as well as set pieces as they led Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium 2-1 after 45 minutes after Rodri was forced off after 20 minutes by some targeted fouling of the iconic City midfielder.
The Blues had taken the leas after 9 minutes though Erling Haaland with his 100th goal in 105 games – matching a Real Madrid record set by Cristiano Ronaldo – but two errors by Kyle Walker gifted Arsenal the lead after Gabriel Martinelli laid on the equaliser for Riccardo Calafiori before defender Gabriel Magalhaes got the drop on Walker at Bukayo Saka’s corner just before half time.
Leandro Trossard got himself sent off for two cheap bookings to reduce the Gunners to 10 men in first half injury time which set up the a backs to the wall finale for the visitors which ended with City getting a deserved equaliser right at the death.
This was indeed a physical encounter with Rodri clattered by Kai Havertz right from the kick off while Erling Haaland exacted some revenge by barging over William Saliba before his precise strike in the 9th minute put City into the lead.
There was confusion after 22 minutes when Kyle Walker appeared to miss a quickly taken Arsenal free kick which gave Gabriel Martinelli enough space to get to the touch line and cut the ball back to Riccardo Calafiori to equalise with a goal inside the back post.
The Gunners built up the pressure until they won a corner and from Bukayo Saka’s curled in set piece Gabriel escaped Kyle Walker’s attention to head in from close range in first half injury time.
There was more drama deeper into injury time when Leandro Trossard was booked for a second time for kicking the ball away after barging into Bernardo Silva.
This left the visitors down to 10 players for the second half – they replaced captain Bukayo Saka with Ben White to shore up the midfield and the Gunners decided to defend their lead for the whole second half.
City went close on a few occasions but found the deep lying Arsenal block, with every man behind the ball, hard to beat.
So successful were the gunners in wasting time and blocking the passing lanes that City were limited to speculative shots by their defenders.
Embed from Getty ImagesPLAYER RATINGS – Manchester City 2, Arsenal 2
Ederson: 5. Not much he could do with the Arsenal equaliser and was booked after protesting that he was blocked by Gabriel Martinelli for Gabriel’s header.
Kyle Walker: 4. Will have complaints about not being given time to get back into position following a chat with the referee prior to quickly taken free kick – allowing for Gabriel Martinelli’s run down the left which led to the Arsenal equaliser. But he let Gabriel escape his attention after a ridiculous attempt to put him off at a corner for Arsenal to take the lead. Tried to atone for the error by being more attacking in the second half.
Manuel Akanji: 6. Linked up the build up well going forward. Switched to right back when John Stones came on.
Ruben Dias: 6. Left a bit exposed by absence of Walker but he did not shrink.
Josko Gvardiol: 7. Up against Bukayo Saka in the first half, forced two very good saves from David Raya in the second half.
Rodri: 6. Targeted by Arsenal from the start. Went down right after the kick off after a clash with Kai Havertz and then elbowed by Thomas Partey as he tried to move into space from a corner. Holding his knee, Rodri then had to come off.
Bernardo Silva: 7. Exhibition in keeping the ball. Set piece delivery not as good and blazed over in the second half trying to get on the end of a rebound.
Ilkay Gundogan: 7. Sliced another sitter to add to the 2 at the end of the Inter game and then hit the post with a free kick.
Savinho: 7. Stretched play. Set up Erling Haaland after coming into the right channel off the right wing but was targeted for rough treatment by Arsenal.
Jeremy Doku: 6. Chaos down the left wing. Not too effective. Needed to do more defensively but also didn’t provide enough invention going forward.
Erling Haaland: 7. Got physical in challenge with William Saliba and then drilled in his 100th goal for City. Had a second half header saved but was generally surrounded by ultra defensive Arsenal.
Mateo Kovacic (on for Rodri, 21): 6. Involved very quickly. Good interceptions and careful use of the ball. Blazed a second half shot over the bar and his driven shot in injury time was blocked but converted by John Stones.
Phil Foden (on for Jeremy Doku, 70): 6. Went to the right side with Savinho going to the left. Neither move very effective as City were too predictable but he was better in the tight spaces.
John Stones (on for Kyle Walker, 78): No time to mark. Injury equaliser made him most popular person in the Etihad.
Jack Grealish (on for John Stones, 78): No time to mark.
GOALS – Manchester City 2, Arsenal 2
Man City 1, Arsenal 0: 9. Erling Haaland broke free and received a superb through ball from Savinho, who can come inside, before a precise strike inside the near post from about 12 yards out.
Man City 1, Arsenal 1: 22. Riccardo Calafiori was left unmarked and equalised for Arsenal with a shot inside the far post from 22 yards out after Kyle Walker gave Gabriel Martinelli a head start and enough space to cut the ball back from the left wing.
Man City 1, Arsenal 2: 45+1. Gabriel close range header from the corner after evading the attention of Kyle Walker from Bukayo Saka’s corner.
Man City 2 Arsenal 2: 90+8. John Stones swept home the rebound after Phil Foden’s shot was blocked following a City corner.
MATCH STATS – Manchester City 2, Arsenal 2
Man City: Ederson, Walker (C) (Stones 78), Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Rodri (Kovacic 21), Bernardo Silva, Gundogan, Savinho (Grealish 78), Doku (Foden 70), Haaland
Man City Subs: Carson, Ortega, Lewis, MacAtee, Nunes, Stones
Booked: Ederson 23 (Dissent); Dias 45+1 (Dissent); Bernardo Silva 90+1 (dissent)
Goals: Haaland 9; Stones 90+8
Arsenal: Raya, Timber (Lewis-Skelly, 90+2), Gabriel, Saliba, Calafiori (Kiowor 74), Rice, Partey, Trossard, Saka (C) (White 46), Martinelli (Jesus 87), Havertz
Arsenal Subs not used: Neto, Jorginho, Kacurri, Nwaneri, Sterling
Bookings: Trossard 34 (shirt pull on Savinho); Partey 45+6 (foul on Savinho); Lewis-Skelly 66; Rice 83 (time wasting); Jesus 90+6 (kicking the ball away)
Red Card: Trossard 45+8 (second yellow, delaying the restart by kicking the ball away after he barged into Bernardo Silva from behind)
Goals: Calafiori 22; Gabriel 45+1
Referee: Michael Oliver