Manchester City vs Arsenal. Premier League.
Etihad Stadium.
Report and highlights from the Premier League match between Man City and Arsenal at the Etihad; Erling Haaland put City in front with his 100th goal for the club; Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel hit back before John Stones equalised in the 98th minute; Leandro Trossard sent off before break
Sunday 22 September 2024 21:06, UK
John Stones scored a dramatic 98th-minute equaliser as Manchester City denied 10-player Arsenal a statement win in a gripping 2-2 draw at the Etihad on Super Sunday.
Pep Guardiola's side were on the cusp of a first home Premier League defeat since November 2022 until Stones squeezed the ball past David Raya with City's 28th and final attempt of an extraordinary second half.
When Rodri went down in a heap inside the first 10 seconds of the match, the two-minute stoppage that followed threatened to kill the game's momentum before it had even started. Fortunately, the opposite turned out to be true.
Ilkay Gundogan, starting in place of the injured Kevin De Bruyne, fired a warning when he volleyed wide after being located by Bernardo Silva - but Arsenal did not listen.
Savinho skipped inside off the right and released Haaland, who raced clear through on goal and prodded past Raya in the ninth minute. It was the first time Arsenal had fallen behind in the Premier League since New Year's Eve and, more significantly, the Norwegian's 100th goal in just 105 appearances for City.
Shortly afterwards, Gundogan whipped in a free-kick which hit the outside of the post and Rodri had limped off after an awkward landing, Arsenal levelled with their first shot in the 22nd minute. Gabriel Martinelli pulled the ball back to Riccardo Calafiori after a quickly-taken free-kick - which City complained was taken away from where it was awarded - and the Italian curled a glorious effort into the top-right corner.
The Gunners then took the lead in first-half added time when Gabriel rose highest to crash in a header at the far post, with their set-piece prowess again paying dividends, but a sensational half ended on a sour note as Leandro Trossard picked up a needless second yellow card for kicking the ball away after he was penalised for a barge on Bernardo Silva.
Mikel Arteta sacrificed the creativity of Bukayo Saka for the defensive solidity of Ben White at the break - and, before long, the incessant pressure from the hosts had arrived. Arsenal defended heroically, while a superb stop from Raya kept out a mesmeric leap and header from Haaland.
Chance and after chance after chance came and went, with the Gunners surviving each time. That was until the very final seconds, when Mateo Kovacic's shot rebounded for Stones to plunder the equaliser and spark furious clashes between the two sets of players.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta:
"It's unbelievable what the players did. The way we played in the normal conditions were already super difficult, that's why they haven't lost here for 40-something games. Then the context of what was thrown against 10 men for 55/56 minutes. That tells you the story, that tells you the character of our players and I'm extremely proud of them.
"We went 2-1 up and then there were two very similar incidents, in particular one with a very different outcome [Trossard sent off] that forces you to play a game that nobody wanted to watch. I'm not talking about anything, I'm just saying what happened. I think it's very obvious. I don't need to talk about it.
"It's not my job to come here and judge what happened. My job is to survive in the most difficult environment you can throw in football for 55 minutes and try to get things done to survive. The rest is not my job and it's already the second time that [an Arsenal player has been sent off] has happened in five games, which is really worrying if we want to see the best Premier League. It's very hard to rally against 11 players; with 10, it's impossible."
