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What a match we had on our hands! In a nail-biting clash between two of English football’s biggest heavyweights, John Stones popped up with a last-gasp equaliser in the 98th minute, rescuing a 2-2 draw for Manchester City against 10-man Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium. This result keeps City’s incredible 33-game unbeaten home run in the Premier League intact, while Arsenal must be feeling the sting of coming so close to a famous win.
The City-Arsenal showdown has become the must-watch fixture in the Premier League, where the stars are expected to dazzle. Erling Haaland, the record-breaking machine, wasted no time making his presence felt. In the 10th minute, Savinho sent a perfect ball through to Haaland, who left Gabriel Magalhães in his dust and slotted it home at David Raya’s near post. That was Haaland’s 100th goal for City—what a milestone!
City started strong and nearly doubled their lead when İlkay Gündoğan’s cheeky free-kick hit the near post. But Arsenal wasn’t going down without a fight. The turning point came when City’s midfield maestro Rodri limped off, leaving a big gap. Arsenal seized the moment, with Gabriel Martinelli setting up Riccardo Calafiori, who scored a stunning left-footed curler for his first start.
That goal lit a fire under Arsenal, and they took control. The Gunners went ahead when Gabriel powered past Kyle Walker to meet Bukayo Saka’s pinpoint corner, heading it home from close range. Suddenly, it looked like Arsenal might pull off a massive upset at the Etihad, but then disaster struck just before halftime.
On the stroke of halftime, Leandro Trossard got a second yellow for kicking the ball away—a real game-changer. Down to 10 men, Arsenal had to dig deep as City came out for the second half determined to turn things around.
With the man advantage, City bombarded Arsenal’s goal. David Raya was a wall, making crucial saves against Haaland’s towering header and a fierce strike from Joško Gvardiol. The Croatian defender nearly got one in too, but Raya was having none of it, frustrating the hosts at every turn.
But in the dying moments of stoppage time, the pressure finally paid off. Mateo Kovačić’s shot was parried by Raya, but John Stones was right there to bury the rebound, sending the Etihad crowd into a frenzy and snatching a point for City. Pep Guardiola might have wanted more given the numbers, but the draw keeps City at the top of the table, extending their unbeaten home run.
For Arsenal, this feels like a missed chance. They fought back to lead 2-1 despite City’s early dominance and were just minutes away from a statement win that could have shaken up the title race. Mikel Arteta’s side needs to regroup quickly, with 33 matches still to go in their quest to dethrone City after four seasons of dominance.
Looking ahead, Arsenal must turn this disappointment into motivation for the rest of the season. Their first-half performance showed they have what it takes to challenge City for the title, but they’ll need to keep their discipline and focus to mount a serious challenge.
Can Arsenal bounce back from this heartbreak and push City all the way in the Premier League title race? With plenty of football still to play, the battle is far from over, and both teams will have their eyes firmly on the ultimate prize.
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