Premier League: Manchester City 2 Arsenal 2 (Haaland 9, Stones 90+8; Calafiori 22, Gabriel 45+1)
It was tense, it was physical, it was loaded with drama and storylines and that was before the momentum in this Premier League title-shaper had swung again – away from Arsenal just before half-time. Mikel Arteta’s team had recovered from an initial storm that featured Erling Haaland putting Manchester City in front with his 100th goal for them – in only his 105th appearance.
Riccardo Calafiori’s long-range equaliser on his full Arsenal debut was a thing of beauty, City raging over the ethics of a quickly taken free-kick by Thomas Partey in the build-up and the visitors felt the surge of possibility when Gabriel Magalhães headed them in front, from a set-piece, of course. No team does them quite like Arsenal these days.
Now the lines of the contest were redrawn once more. We were into the seventh minute of first-half stoppage-time and Leandro Trossard, already on a booking, had fouled Bernardo Silva. But what was this? Trossard was shown a second yellow card for, it turned out, blasting the ball away.
It was a letter of the law decision, one to recall Declan Rice’s offence for his second booking in Arsenal’s 1-1 home draw against Brighton at the end of August, albeit Trossard really cleared his lines this time. Arsenal had been bitten but they were not shy – or any wiser.
So we entered a ridiculously high stakes game of City’s attack v Arsenal’s defence. For the duration of the second half, Arsenal kept their 10 men behind the ball. It was difficult to remember them crossing the halfway line. But it was only about them withstanding the pressure. If that took in the dark arts – time-wasting, players going to ground with cramp – then so be it.
Could the meanest defence in England preserve the slender advantage? Until the very end, the answer looked like being yes. For all of City’s territorial dominance, they only really created three big moments and, on each occasion, David Raya saved. He kept out a Haaland header and two rockets from Josko Gvardiol.
Then came the sting. The additional seven minutes were up when City worked a short corner; one substitute, Jack Grealish, teeing up another, Mateo Kovacic, whose shot was blocked. Enter yet another City replacement, John Stones, to force the rebound home, save City and shape a post-match inquest that was always likely to be long and loud.
The tone of aggression had been set within seconds, Kai Havertz barging into Rodri moments after the opening kick-off; the City midfielder needed treatment. His team responded as though affronted. Ilkay Gündogan might have scored after taking a pass from Silva only to volley wildly; then City did take control. The opening goal felt big when it went in and it was a surprise that it had come so early. The identity of the scorer was not.
The move was sparked when Savinho took a ball from Kyle Walker and sliced inside and away from Calafiori. The winger saw the space open up between Gabriel and William Saliba – a rare spot – and the weight of the release for Haaland was perfect. Once Haaland had got his body in front of Gabriel, it was a done deal. He did not break stride, finishing first time with the outside of his left boot.
City were rampant, Gündogan bending a free-kick on 14 minutes outside Raya’s post and the Arsenal equaliser was a bolt from the blue. City had lost Rodri; he was checked again, this time by Partey on a corner and he seemed to jar his knee.
The passions were swirling when Arsenal won a free-kick in the middle of the field and the referee, Michael Oliver, had called over the captains, Kyle Walker and Bukayo Saka, to appeal for calm. That certainly did not happen.
City were plainly not ready for Partey to sweep a quick free-kick up the inside left channel for Gabriel Martinelli; Walker was out of position. But Oliver let it go and the repercussions would be seismic. Martinelli went back to Calafiori and what a moment it was for the Italian, his curled finish from distance picking out the far top corner. Guardiola raged on the touchline. So did his players.
The tide turned sharply, Arsenal feeling their confidence flood back. Gabriel headed off target when unmarked on a corner and, after Trossard had lifted high following a Martinelli cutback, Gabriel did find the net on another corner. He ran off Walker and just seemed to want it more than any of City’s defenders.
Remarkably, there was more before the interval with the Trossard dismissal. At first, it felt as though he had been shown a second yellow card for a barge into the back of Silva, which would have been harsh. His real crime was the hammering of the ball away as Arsenal prepared to defend the free-kick. Call it a rush of blood. Trossard, whose first caution had been for pulling back Savinho, did not want to leave the field. Arsenal were stunned, partly because City’s Jérémy Doku had escaped a booking earlier for kicking the ball away.
Arteta’s team were accused of parking the bus in last season’s 0-0 here. Now they really did. As the second half kicked off, with Ben White on for Saka, the formation was 5-4-0; White as the right-sided centre-half, Jurrien Timber outside him. City tried to find a way through and, for long spells, it looked as though they had run out of ideas. Arsenal looked secure. Then they were breached. – Guardian
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
