Gabriel Martinelli’s dramatic 95th-minute equalizer salvaged a point for Arsenal, denying Manchester City a vital win in their Premier League title chase on Sunday.
City, holding onto a 1-0 lead courtesy of Erling Haaland’s early first-half goal, found themselves clinging to the advantage as manager Pep Guardiola made a series of surprisingly cautious substitutions. The decision left City without a recognized striker on the pitch in the final stages of the game—an approach rarely associated with Guardiola’s usually attacking style. The shift from his purist principles proved costly.
It was a tactical change from Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta that ultimately proved decisive. Martinelli, coming off the bench, spared Arsenal from a second defeat to a title rival this season, following their loss to Liverpool in August.
The draw moved Arsenal up to second place in the standings, just five points behind leaders Liverpool. Meanwhile, City, who have only two wins from their first five league matches, sit in ninth, already eight points adrift of the pacesetters under new manager Arne Slot, who has guided Liverpool to five straight victories.
Liverpool emerged as the biggest winners from the clash in north London, while Guardiola faces the unusual scenario of going five league matches without a win against a single opponent—something he has never experienced in his tenure at City.
Guardiola’s reluctant strategy backfires
Despite expressing frustration about City’s tight schedule—having to play their Champions League opener against Napoli just 48 hours after Arsenal’s match—Guardiola named an unchanged side for the trip to the Emirates. He had previously remarked that, given the congested fixture list, City players might as well go “hiking” in the 66 hours between their matches against Napoli and Arsenal.
However, City’s climb seemed more manageable after just nine minutes. Haaland’s powerful hold-up play triggered a blistering counter-attack. Tijjani Reijnders made a well-timed run into the Arsenal box and threaded a precise pass to Haaland, who finished clinically with a low strike from eight yards, giving City the early lead.
Haaland, in his typical composed manner, refrained from celebrating too exuberantly, despite Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly mocking his famous zen pose after scoring against City in February. The goal marked Haaland’s fifth in seven league matches against Arsenal, taking his tally for the season to 12 goals in eight appearances for both club and country.
Arsenal were nearly caught out again shortly after when Haaland set up Reijnders for a powerful shot, but goalkeeper David Raya made a crucial save.
Arteta, who had faced criticism for his cautious approach in Arsenal’s earlier loss to Liverpool, opted for the same midfield trio of Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice, and Mikel Merino. While their performance was solid, it failed to ignite Arsenal in the same way they had hoped.
Just before half-time, Noni Madueke’s blast from 12 yards finally forced a save from Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Tempers flared in the first half when City captain Bernardo Silva kicked the ball into the groin of Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard. Trossard retaliated by throwing the ball back at Silva, adding a bit of spice to an already intense encounter.
Arteta made two pivotal substitutions at the break, bringing on Bukayo Saka, returning from a hamstring injury, and Eberechi Eze. The impact was immediate, with both players injecting pace and creativity into the attack. Zubimendi came close to an equalizer, firing just over the bar from outside the box, and Eze forced Donnarumma into a strong save with a powerful strike.
As the game wore on, City were increasingly pinned back, with Guardiola switching to a five-at-the-back formation, introducing Nathan Ake for Phil Foden in a bid to protect their lead. Even Haaland was sacrificed for the final 15 minutes as Guardiola opted for a more defensive approach.
But the decision to play it safe backfired in the dying moments. Eze’s brilliant lofted pass sent Martinelli racing down the flank, escaping Ake’s attempt to play offside. The Brazilian striker calmly chipped a fine finish over the advancing Donnarumma, sparking wild celebrations in the Emirates as Arsenal salvaged a dramatic draw.
