Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench to deliver a dramatic late equaliser as Arsenal held Manchester City 1-1 at the Emirates on Sunday, punishing Pep Guardiola’s decision to abandon his usual attacking instincts.
Erling Haaland had given City an early lead, bullying Arsenal’s defence before finishing coolly from Tijjani Reijnders’ pass. It was the Norwegian’s 12th goal in just eight games for club and country this season, and his fifth in seven league appearances against Arsenal.
For much of the first half, City looked comfortable, while Arsenal’s midfield trio of Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Mikel Merino again struggled to impose themselves.
Mikel Arteta responded at half-time by introducing Bukayo Saka, returning from injury, and the lively
Eberechi Eze. The shift injected energy into Arsenal’s attack, with Zubimendi and Eze both testing Gianluigi Donnarumma from distance.
Yet City clung on, and Guardiola doubled down on defence, switching to five at the back and even withdrawing Haaland in the closing stages.
That ultra-cautious approach backfired. Deep into stoppage time, Eze floated a clever pass behind the defence, releasing Martinelli, who darted clear of Nathan Ake’s offside gamble and chipped a precise finish over Donnarumma. The Emirates erupted as Arsenal avoided a second defeat to a title rival after August’s loss at Liverpool.
The result leaves Arsenal second in the table, five points behind perfect-start Liverpool.
For City, the picture looks bleaker: just two wins from five league matches has them languishing in ninth, already eight points off the pace. Guardiola admitted fatigue and injuries had forced pragmatism, saying: “We don’t try to be like this, but when the opponent is better, we defend deeper. The result is fair.”
Arteta, however, felt his side deserved more: “I’m so proud of my players, the way we dominated almost every aspect of the game. We played much better than last year when we beat them.”
For Liverpool, the north London stalemate was the real victory. For Arsenal, Martinelli’s strike kept belief alive. And for Guardiola, questions will linger over a cautious strategy that left his champions looking ordinary.
(with AFP inputs)
