Tag: bukayo saka

John Stones’ 98th-minute equaliser salvaged a 2-2 draw for Manchester City against 10-man Arsenal in an ill-tempered clash between the two title heavyweights.

The visitors’ enormous task was made even harder when forward Leandro Trossard received a second yellow card deep in injury time at the end of the first half for kicking the ball away, similar to Declan Rice’s sending off against Brighton earlier in the year.

Despite this the Gunners were seconds away from inflicting City’s first home defeat since November 2022, with Stones’ poked finish following a penalty box scramble seconds from full time saving City’s blushes, and ensuring Pep Guardiola’s side maintained their place atop the Premier League table.

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An intense and emotional contest was expected and within seconds the signs of fight in both sides were evident when Kai Havertz charged into Rodri to leave the Spaniard needing treatment.

The game couldn’t have started any better for the hosts when Erling Haaland found the back of the net in the ninth minute following a dazzling run from Brazilian recruit Savinho.

Not only was the strike significant for lifting City into the lead, but it also marked the Norwegian’s 100th goal for the club in all competitions.

Prior to kick off, Arsenal’s centre back pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel had restricted Haaland to just one goal in 359 minutes of action, but were helpless to prevent him scoring in this clash.

Controversy soon followed Haaland’s strike when a quickly taken Arsenal free kick caught City captain Kyle Walker out of position and released winger Gabriel Martinelli down the left touchline.

Martinelli approached the box before laying a pass off to Italian recruit Riccardo Calafiori, who bent a wonderful strike beyond an outstretched Ederson to breathe life into Arsenal.

Furious City players surrounded the referee in protest, with footage showing Arsenal midfielders Rice and Thomas Partey moving the dead ball forward and away from the mark of the original foul.

However, the goal stood, much to Arsenal’s delight, providing the visitors with hope they could secure a crucial win in the grand scheme of their title tilt.

City were dealt a major blow moments before Calafiori’s strike when Rodri was substituted after appearing to injure himself attacking a corner at the near post, with Mateo Kovacic replacing the Spaniard in the 21st minute.

Post-game, Guardiola labelled the holding midfielder a “strong man,” and noted he wouldn’t leave the field unless it was necessary.

“If he leaves the pitch in this action, it is because he felt something, otherwise he would stay there.”

A week after he was the deciding factor in the North London derby, Brazilian centre back Gabriel towered over everyone to nod home from a corner in the 46th minute, sending the away side into delirium.

Walker, who was responsible for some questionable defending in the lead up to Gabriel’s goal, was singled out by Guardiola post-game.

“He has to (do better) and didn’t,” City’s manager said.

Arsenal’s hopes of victory took a hit right on half time when Trossard received his marching orders for kicking the ball away after a City foul, resigning Arsenal to tackling this incredible City side with a man disadvantage.

Speaking post-game, Mikel Arteta said he expects “100 Premier League games to be 10 against 11 or nine vs 10 this season.”

And while the Spaniard was upset with the sending off, he was more than proud of his side’s resolve in the second to restrict City despite being a man down.

“Obviously, it is already a miracle we played 56 minutes at the Etihad with 10 men. It is unbelievable what we have done,” he said.

“We adapted in the best possible way, the way we compete – I’m so proud of them. It couldn’t be a more difficult situation and the way we handled it.”

Arteta made the bold call to remove captain Bukayo Saka from the contest, replacing the winger with fullback Ben White in a bid to make his side more compact and harder to break down.

That decision proved rather effective for much of the second half, with 16 of City’s shots in the second half coming from outside the box, with goalkeeper David Raya twice denying sharp efforts from Joski Gvardiol to preserve his side’s lead.

However, it was another City defender who finally found the back of the net, with Stones nodding home at the death to steal a point from the visitors.

When all’s said and done this season, the Englishman’s goal could prove the deciding factor in this year’s title race, and would be the second time in recent years Stones has played a key part in a Premier League title after his goal line clearance in 2018-19 against Liverpool, which was the determining factor in City winning that year’s title by a single point.

Post-game, Guardiola said “a lot of things happened in the game, we have time to analyse it after.”

“We have created a good rivalry with Arsenal. It was before with Jurgen (Klopp), now it’s in a different way.

“They have a lot of personality, but we have it (too).”

However, some of the Spaniard’s players weren’t as complimentary of their hosts, who finished the game with 22% possession and appeared hellbent on frustrating their opponents, similar to how former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho set his side up in crucial games.

City’s hero, Stones, questioned Arsenal’s antagonising tactics throughout the contest after the Gunners conceded 10 fouls and looked to slow the game at every possible point.

“I don’t know if they have mastered it, they’ve done it for a few years, and we know to expect that,” the 30-year-old said.

“You can call it clever, or dirty, whichever way you want to put it.

“They break up the game, and obviously it upsets the rhythm for everyone. They use it for their advantage, and I thought we dealt with it really well.”

City midfielder Bernardo Silva was also critical of Arsenal’s tactics, stating: “There was only one team that came to play football.”

“The other came to play to the limits of what was possible to do and allowed by the referee, unfortunately.

“At the end we got a draw, the best we could get considering the context of the last moments of the match.”

Not only did Silva criticse his opponents, but he also took aim at referee Michael Oliver’s complicity in Arsenal’s tactics.

“We had a player injured after they sent him to the ground twice in ten minutes. We had a goal conceded after the referee called our captain and then didn’t allow him to recover his position,” he said.

“The second goal is already their usual block to our keeper allowed by the referee.

“And then the referee allowed a sequence of time-wasting events.

“The thing that bothers me the most is having a lot of meetings with the FA at the beginning of each season. They tell us they will control this kind of situation and will stop them, but in the end it doesn’t have any worth. They say a lot but nothing happens.”

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Gary Neville Podcast, former Manchester United right back and perennial title winner Gary Neville described the clash as “exhausting to watch.”

However, given the pre-match expectations of a boring stalemate between the two sides, Neville credited the contest as being “how a big game should be.”

He noted that while Arsenal will be disappointed to not return to London with the three points, Arteta’s side can “take a lot out of that.”

“What they are doing, Arsenal, is impressing us enormously with the way in which they apply themselves; set piece wise and defensively they’re a joy.”

Jamie Carragher, however, felt the Gunners will be bitter with themselves for not seeing out the win, especially considering “City didn’t look that threatening” during the second half.

“We know how vital and how small the margins are, but I just think psychologically to be at that end with your supporters, your coaching staff, on the pitch celebrating that win against Manchester City (is massive),” he said.

Speaking of the animosity between the two sides, Carragher was all praise, noting it reminded him of contests between fierce title rivals in previous eras.

“There’s needle. You can feel that. I can’t wait for the return fixture. I think there’s a real animosity and that wasn’t there at the start when Mikel Arteta first got the job because Arsenal weren’t a threat to Manchester City,” he said.

“This animosity is going to keep building. You think of Manchester United versus Arsenal. You think of what we (Liverpool) had with Chelsea all those years ago.

“You can’t help it, there’s that feeling in your stomach.

“There’s a nastiness about it. I think it’s needed. I love it. I love them coming together. That little bit of friction, as long as it doesn’t cross the line it just adds a little bit of something to the fixture.”