Proud: Takeaways from Arsenal's character-laden performance at City
This tremendous Arsenal team underline title credentials in front of unstinting support from travelling Gooners in the Manchester rain on Sunday
Hello,
Happy Monday from a rainy Manchester.
Well, wow, what a game,
What a backs-to-the-wall performance, after showing such character in an astonishing football match on Sunday.
John Stones’ 98th minute equaliser was so cruel on such a brave, battling performance full of fight from Arsenal’s ten players, following Leandro Trossard’s contentious sending-off.
Contentious in the fact that referee Michael Oliver failed to hand a card to Jeremy Doku for the same offence.
You can read my official match report from the Etihad press box below, suffice to say the inconsistencies from officials are utterly frustrating.
I attended the post-match press conferences of both managers, and yet again, I saw a frustrated Mikel Arteta, fuming after such inconsistencies - even if the Gunners manager was so proud of his players at such a difficult place to come.
While Pep Guardiola took time to praise his friend’s Arsenal team, after the North Londoners so nearly inflicted City’s first home defeat since November 2022.
Arsenal’s Tremendous Travelling Support. CREDIT:
Arsenal’s Tremendous Travelling Support. CREDIT: Layth (@laythy29)
A quick note on Arsenal’s superb travelling support.
You could really hear them from the Etiahd press box, and the solidarity between fans and players was evident throughout.
It was wonderful to see, and if you’re one of those loyal supporters in the away end then you should be very proud of your unstinting vociferous support on Sunday - and on the back of three tough, expensive and challenging away games on the road this week.
Well done to each and every single one of you.
Riccardo Calafiori points the way after scoring a spectacular strike.
This Arsenal side continue to impress, as they continue to evolve into a side with genuine Premier League title-winning aspirations.
I covered Arsenal’s 5-0 and 4-1, 0-0s at City over the last three seasons, and Sunday’s performance was absolutely outstanding. You can see how much progress they’ve made.
This team is ready to win the league title.
After that 4-1 defeat, Arteta was determined never to be outmuscled again by City, hence the evolution of his side, to contain a musical athleticism, that saw the Gunners go on the front foot from the kick-off.
As someone who grew up watching George Graham’s tough sides, it was magnificent to watch this side refuse to take a backwards step.
Incredibly obdurate and organised in defence, solid, yet creative and hard-working in midfielder, with a raft of attacking options along the flanks and up front, this Arsenal side will not be messed with.
And it’s absolutely wonderful to see.
The new Adams and Bould. We just need a few trophies to confirm the fact.
Quite simply, Arteta has assembled a title-winning side.
All his team have to do is continue to play at this level. And who knows, maybe when Arsenal are allowed to play with 11 men, then we’ll sweep away the majority of opponents.
To be fair, after Villa, Spurs and City away, garnering seven points from nine on the road, not to mention a valuable Champions League point sandwiched in between, after a tough trip to challenging Atalanta, we should all be very excited about the immediate future.
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DAILY LIST
I - Avoid the rain and get back in one piece after a long week on the road.
I’ve got to drive back to the flooded south after midday, so we’ll focus on match analysis tomorrow - as well as a focus on Arsenal Women as well - as I stayed up in a cheap hotel two miles from the Etihad after an knackering but hugely enjoyable long week on the road, and haven’t even had breakfast yet….
Until tomorrow Gooners,
Layth
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Match Report
Manchester City 2-2 Arsenal: Morning Star newspaper match report by Layth Yousif at the Etihad Stadium
Manchester City 2–2 Arsenal: Report by Layth Yousif
A last-gasp John Stones leveller in the 98th minute denied magnificent ten-player Arsenal a famous victory in an astonishing match.
As the rain lashed down on Sunday afternoon.
late substitute Stones scrambled home City’s late equaliser to foil Mikel Arteta’s battling Gunners, in an utterly enthralling clash, in front of 52,846.
Riccardo Calafiori cancelled out Erling Haaland’s opener with a quite magnificent strike prior to Gabriel’s emphatic header making it 2-1 to the Gunners in a remarkable opening 45 minutes at the Etihad on Sunday afternoon.
In a breathless and captivating contest, referee Michael Oliver still found time to send off Leandro Trossard moments before the interval.
According to the rules, the 29-year-old deserved to have been handed a second yellow card for kicking the ball away, yet it is abject inconsistencies by referees that continues for frustrate Arsenal – not lease when referee Oliver failed to book City’s Jeremy Doku for the same offence.
Speaking after the match, a visibly irked Arteta refused to be drawn on Oliver’s contentious decision to send off Trossard.
“Red card? I prefer not to comment… I've seen it. It's that obvious,” Arteta said, adding: “I'm expecting now 100 Premier League games to be played 10 against or 11.”
In an enthralling match, as relentless rain poured from gunmetal grey Manchester skies, City elder llkay Gundogan, now back in the fold following a year at Barcelona, fired wide.
Pep Guardiola’s City were ruthless in the opening stages and their dominance soon told.
In the ninth minute. Erling Haaland latched onto Savinho’s through ball to clinically fire past Raya to make it 1-0, with his 100th City goal in 105 appearances.
With the home side looking to double their lead, Gundogan hit the post with his free-kick shortly afterwards.
In a breathless opening where you simply couldn’t take your eyes off the action for fear of missing a significant moment, Rodri limped off with what looked like a serious knee injury.
Buoyed by the departure of the Ballon D’or nominee, who is such an important talisman for Guardiola’s all-conquering side, Arsenal fought their way back into the contest to equalise on 22 minutes, when Calafiori hit a screamer past Ederson to equaliser to stun the home support in the stadium.
The unexpected leveller coming after the muscular 23-year-old Italy international cut inside to unleash an outstanding strike, following Gabi Martinelli feeding the former Bologna defender, making his full debut.
Such was his joy, Calafiori ran straight to bench, jumping on boss Arteta before being engulfed by delighted teammates. The contrast on the City bench was stark, with a furious Guardiola violently kicking his seat in annoyance.
Guardiola’s City are rarely overwhelmed, but as Arsenal stove for supremacy, Gabriel headed narrowly over the bar from Saka’s superb inswinging corner, in what was a big chance for set-piece specialists Arsenal to go ahead.
With Arteta’s Arsenal showing plenty of fight, Trossard fired over after Martinelli and Gabriel dovetailed well along the flank.
With City failing to heed the warning from Gabriel’s near miss, the dangerous defender headed home Saka’s corner in an almost identical set-piece action to make it 2-1 in the first minute of added time before the interval.
The goal prompted unbridled joy among the team, and the jubilant travelling fans massed at the other end of the stadium.
However, as the clock ticked down on eight minutes of added time, referee Oliver chose to send Trossard off moments before half time, following his misdemeanour in booting the ball away, after clattering Bernardo Silva on the halfway line.
At half time, Ben White replaced Gunners captain Saka, as boss Arteta aimed to bolster the backline following Trossard’s expulsion.
Usurpingly against the Gunners ten men, City started with intent, with Raya thwarting Haaland, prior to Josko Gvardiol firing over moments later.
It was then Ruben Dias’ turn to unleash a shot that flew over Raya’s bar.
As City continued to push Arsenal deeper, Raya increasingly frustrated City.
Following his stupendous double save during Champions League action to earn his team a valuable point in the goalless draw at Atalanta, it was perhaps no surprise that Raya initially blocked Josko Gvardiol’s initial effort midway through the second half. The ball then flying high into the air before the Gunners 29-year-old claimed the ball at the second attempt.
Raya earned a chorus of boos by going down for treatment when trying to take the sting out of City’s endeavours.
As the Mancunian continued to fall, Guardiola opted to bring Phil Foden on for Doku in a bid to unlock the obdurate Gunners backline with 20 minutes remaining. The Catalan then threw on Jack Grealish and Stones, as Gvardiol fired over on 79 minutes.
Yet, as the clock ticked down, with the Gunners on the brink of a superb victory over champions City, up stepped Stones to finally break down Arteta’s depleted but fiercely obdurate team in the eighth minute of added time, to deny Arsenal a statement triumph.
Speaking after the match, Guardiola took time to praise Arsenal, saying: “Congratulations to Arsenal for being so strong mentally to block for a long, long time. That’s not easy but we were patient.”
While many of the drained ten players of the Arsenal team fell to the ground, devasted at conceding such a late equaliser, Arteta praised his side, as they once again underlined their title credentials.
Reflecting afterwards, Arteta said: “The way the team competed was just unbelievable. I’m so proud of the team.
“You can’t be thrown into a more difficult situation against that kind of opponent and the way we handled that.
“I’m so proud.”
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The King of Brazil grabs another important goal in a massive game for the Arsenal
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Arsenal Player Ratings:
GK: David Raya - 9/10 - Another outstanding performance after a superb week between the sticks for the Gunners. Moments away from a famous victory as Haaland's last-gasp scrambled leveller broke Gunners hearts
RB: Jurrien Timber - 8/10 - Solid and reliable. Powerful and tenacious
CB: William Saliba - 9/10 - Absolutely relished his utterly absorbing duel with Erling Halland and you have to say the Gunners world class French defender kept the dangerous Norwegian strker at bay
CB: Gabriel - 9/10 - Shouio have scored with a powerful header that flew narrowly over the bar from Saka's cross. before the King of Brazil ensured his next header from the next Saka inswinging corner made it under the bar.
LB: Riccardo Calafiori - 9/10 - An outstanding equaliser on his full debut in which he showed the powerful athleticism that Arteta loves
RM: Bukayo Saka (c) - 8/10 - Sacrificed at the alter of backline solidity at the break following Trossard's sending-off after providing an assist for Gabriel's header to put the Gunners 2-1 up
CM: Thomas Partey - 7.5/10 - Battled hard in the heart of battle to justify his selection alongside Rice in the starting XI
CM: Declan Rice - 8/10 - So close to finally eclipsing the stricken Rodri
LM: Gabriel Martinelli - 7.5/10 - Dovetailed well with Gabriel down the left flank at times and ran his heart out as ever. No wonder he went down with cramp in the closing stages
ST: Kai Havertz - 8/10 - Battled hard leading the line during a tough assignment
Substitutes
SUB: Ben White (46' for Saka) - 8/10
SUB: Jakub Kiwior (74' for Calafiori) - 7.5/10
SUB: Gabriel Jesus (88' for Martinelli) - 7/10
SUB: Myles Lewis-Skelly (90+2' for Timber) - 7/10
Subs not used: Neto (GK),
Maldini Kacurri,
Jorginho,
Ethan Nwaneri,
Raheem Sterling.
