Needle and controversy: Stones rescues point for City against 10-man Gunners
Manchester City's John Stones (centre) celebrates scoring their side's lte equaliser.
The two heavyweight rivals in the Premier League title race served up an instant classic at the Etihad last night, full of controversy, passion, skill and, sometimes, a dose of pure and simple animosity, that was not decided until John Stones scored a 98th minute equaliser.
It was a game that featured Erling Haaland’s 100th Manchester City goal, a worrying-looking injury to key midfielder Rodri and a red card, late in the first half, for Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard.
It was also one full of spiky little duels, from literally the first second when Kai Havertz steamrollered into Rodri from kick-off, and one which did little to tell us whether Arsenal will be able to deny City a fifth successive league title this term.
What it did tell us, though, is that these two teams, pure and simple, do not like each other. Finally, the Premier League has a rivalry at the top that promises to offer all the ill feeling of those legendary Arsenal “Pizzagate” tussles with Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in the early noughties.
And both Arsenal goals were shrouded in controversy.
With City ahead, halfway through the first half, referee Michael Oliver called over the two captains after Arsenal had won a free-kick in the centre circle, trying to calm growing tensions and forcing home right-back Kyle Walker to vacate his position.
Oliver then allowed Thomas Partey to take a quick free-kick, with Walker desperately trying to regain position, and Gabriel Martinelli was able to sprint clear down the left. His pull-back, to Riccardo Calafiori on the edge of the City area, allowed the defender to curl a brilliant shot into the corner of the home goal.
But the reaction of Pep Guardiola, who seemed equally furious with both the officials and his own players and coaching staff, was telling.
To make matters worse for the defending champions, they would not even make it to the interval on level terms as they conceded from an Arsenal corner a minute into stoppage time.
Gabriel had headed inches over moments before but City failed to heed the warning and Bukayo Saka’s perfect delivery caused chaos in the home defence. Gabriel powered his way through a sea of bodies to head into an open net from two yards, with VAR deciding three red shirts surrounding Ederson had not impeded the City keeper.
“It’s a question for the referee, I don’t think,” smiled Guardiola when asked if he thought Arsenal’s blocking was legal. “Sometimes it is disallowed and sometimes it is a goal. I don't know.“
As for Oliver calling over Walker and then allowing Arsenal to take a free-kick, the City manager was angered as much by his own players and coaches for failing to follow his pre-match instructions to be aware of Arsenal’s quick set-pieces on the counter-attack.
“When the referee asks Kyle Walker to come 20 miles away from his position, maybe he should wait but we must organise better. One player should stand in front of the free-kick,” he said.
“But next time the referee calls over one of my players to talk I will tell him to say, ‘No, YOU come to ME!’” City had made the dream start, quick out of the blocks, and ahead on nine minutes as Arsenal looked in danger of being swept away by their electrifying start.
Savinho picked up the ball on halfway and carried it forward before slipping through a perfect pass for the number nine to run onto, a move which caught Calafiori badly out of position. There only looked one likely outcome which Haaland duly delivered, burying the ball into the net from 15 yards.
But just seven minutes later, Rodri went down, after a collision with Thomas Partey as they awaited a corner, with the holding midfielder suffering what looked like a groin injury. A long-term lay-off for Rodri could have major repercussions.
“I didn't speak to the doctor but Rodri is strong,” said Guardiola. “If he leaves the pitch it is because he felt something, otherwise Rodri stays there.
“He's the best holding midfielder in the world. But these games with Arsenal are like that and we have to handle it when we are not used. We did it. Many things we did really good things.”
There was more drama to come just before the break when Trossard, booked earlier for a foul on Savinho, was shown a second yellow for delaying a City free-kick he had conceded. It was a decision which did not impress his manager Mikel Arteta.
“I prefer not to comment because it was that obvious that I leave it to you guys,” said Arteta. “I was already in big trouble trying to sort out what happened on the pitch, it's not my problem.”
The sending off made for a predictably fraught second half, Arsenal parking the bus but defending superbly and David Raya equal to everything thrown at him… until 97 minutes and 14 seconds.
Mateo Kovacic’s shot hit a mass of bodies on the six-yard line and Stones was on hand to sweep the ball in, with Haaland fuelling the simmering ill-feeling by throwing the ball at Gabriel’s head in the aftermath.
It was a dramatic end to a titanic clash that had everything, including ill feeling between the benches who had to be separated after the goal and, in the few seconds after kick-off, Haaland’s foul on Gabriel led to a stand-off between both sets of players.
It was a feisty end to a thrilling contest and one which should have every football fan pencilling a date in the diaries - February 1, 2025 - for the return at the Emirates.
Ederson 6; Walker 5 (Stones 78, 5), Dias 6, Akanji 7, Gvardiol 6; Rodri 6 (Kovacic 20, 5), Gundogan 7; Savinho 7 (Grealish 78, 5), Silva 7, Doku 5 (Foden 69, 5); Haaland 7.
Substitutes (not used): Ortega, Nunes, Carson, Lewis, McAtee.
Raya 8; Timber 8 (Lewis-Skelly 90), Saliba 8, Gabriel 9, Calafiori 7 (Kiwior 74, 6); Saka 6 (White 46, 7), Partey 7, Rice 7, Martinelli 7 (Jesus 87); Havertz 6, Trossard 5.
Substitutes (not used): Neto, Jorginho, Sterling, Kacurri, Nwaneri.
: M Oliver 5.
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