Gabriel Martinelli struck deep into stoppage time to earn Arsenal a dramatic 1-1 draw against Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
City took the lead inside nine minutes when Tijjani Reijnders burst forward and slipped a precise pass into the path of Erling Haaland. The Norwegian striker finished clinically, drilling a low shot into the bottom corner past David Raya.
From then on, Pep Guardiolaβs side retreated into a defensive shape, challenging Arsenal to break them down. The Gunners dominated possession but struggled to carve out clear chances against Cityβs compact back line.
Mikel Arteta turned to his bench at halftime, introducing Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze to inject urgency into the attack. The substitutions lifted Arsenal, and the home side pressed relentlessly in search of an equaliser.
Their persistence paid off in the 93rd minute. Eze floated an aerial pass beyond Cityβs defence, which Martinelli latched onto before delicately lobbing goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Emirates erupted as Arsenal clawed back a point in dramatic fashion.
The draw keeps Arsenal within touching distance at the top, moving them onto 10 points heading into the international break, while City were denied the chance to stretch their advantage at the summit.
