The Emirates witnessed a rollercoaster on Sunday as Arsenal snatched a late draw against Manchester City. It wasn’t always pretty, but it was dramatic, and Gabriel Martinelli’s stoppage-time lob meant Mikel Arteta’s side walked away with a point that felt both deserved and desperately needed.

City Strike Early

Arsenal actually started brightly, but it was City who landed the first blow. Just nine minutes in, Tijjani Reijnders drove straight through midfield and found Erling Haaland lurking in behind. One clean touch, one calm finish — and suddenly Arsenal were chasing the game.

What followed was a familiar story: Arsenal with the ball, City in their disciplined block, Pep Guardiola barking from the touchline as his side soaked up pressure. For the first 45 minutes, Arsenal huffed and puffed but couldn’t land a punch.

Arteta’s Changes Spark Life

At halftime, Arteta rolled the dice. Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze came on, and the difference was instant. Arsenal moved the ball quicker, stretched City wider, and forced Gianluigi Donnarumma into action more than once.

Still, time was slipping away. City were defending deeper and deeper, and for all of Arsenal’s possession, the equaliser felt like it might never come.

Martinelli’s Moment

Then came the 93rd minute. Eze picked his head up and clipped a gorgeous ball over the top. Martinelli, full of fresh energy after coming off the bench, was onto it in a flash. One touch, a delicate lob over Donnarumma – and the Emirates exploded.

It was the kind of goal that makes you forget the frustration of the previous 90 minutes. A moment of pure quality, right when Arsenal needed it most.

What We Learned

• Arsenal: The mentality is there. Falling behind early against City can crush a team, but Arteta’s subs changed the dynamic. Martinelli and Eze showed exactly why squad depth matters. Still, Arsenal will be frustrated at their lack of cutting edge until stoppage time.
• Manchester City: Rarely do we see a Pep team with just 33% possession, but City were set up to grind this out. For 92 minutes, it worked. Then one lapse undid all the hard work. Guardiola will take positives from the defensive performance, but Haaland’s goal aside, City offered little.

Final Thoughts

This wasn’t the free-flowing spectacle many expected, but it was a reminder that the tiniest moments decide these heavyweight clashes. Arsenal’s equaliser keeps the momentum alive in their title push; City, meanwhile, leave North London with the sense of a win that slipped through their fingers.

DJ