John Stones struck in the 98th-minute to earn Manchester City a point and break Arsenal hearts in a remarkable encounter at the Etihad. The Gunners played the entire second period with ten men after Leandro Trossard’s red card and were seconds away from a first win at the ground in nine years, but Stones delivered late on to make it 2-2 with near enough the final kick.
It had been a sensational start from City, who took the lead through Erling Haaland and threatened to run away with it in the early stages, as Ilkay Gundogan then smacked a free-kick against the outside of the post. The momentum of the match turned on an injury to Rodri, who jarred his knee at a corner and was forced off, with that delay allowing Arsenal to reset and slow the City charge.
Riccardo Calafiori, making his full debut, whipped in a stunning equaliser from distance, before the familiar sight of Gabriel rising highest at the back post to head home from a corner put the Gunners in front. Mikel Arteta’s side enjoyed their best spell of the match before half-time, but suffered a huge blow seconds before the break. Trossard, already on a yellow card, conceded a free-kick and booted the ball up the pitch, and he was duly sent off for delaying the restart.
Arsenal resorted to a 5-4-0 formation in the second-half, all outfield players camped on the edge of their own box with effectively no respite from their defensive efforts. City had 26 shots in the half, and it was not until the last of those that they found a way past the Arsenal wall. Mateo Kovacic’s strike was deflected into the path of Stones, and he turned into an empty net.
