Kyle Walker was flustered after Arsenal’s equalizer on Sunday. As far as the Manchester City full-back was concerned, he wasn’t given enough time to get back into position after having a conversation with referee Michael Oliver. In his mind, that’s why there was so much space for Arsenal to exploit before Riccardo Calafiori’s exquisite goal.
In truth, Walker could’ve been much closer to Gabriel Martinelli when Arsenal quickly restarted play from a free-kick. But he was so busy imploring his teammates to maintain their focus that he lost his own.
It took a while for it to return.
Walker capped off an abject first half when he erred for Arsenal’s second goal. Preoccupied with poking and prodding Gabriel in a peculiar attempt to gain the edge in a physical battle, Walker failed to stay tight with the Arsenal defender when Bukayo Saka geared up to take a corner-kick. Gabriel’s header in added time in the opening stanza – shortly before Leandro Trossard was dismissed for a second yellow card with seconds to go in the first half – was so close to be being Arsenal’s winning goal.
Sometimes soccer can be more about responding to errors and adversity rather than keenly avoiding those setbacks. Arsenal won in that regard and were seconds from using that as the key ingredient in a huge victory early in the Premier League title race. John Stones’ 98th-minute goal, rescuing a 2-2 draw for City, was a gut punch for the visitors, but once the pain and wheezing subsides, Mikel Arteta will appreciate that his team’s performance bodes well for its title challenge. It was Arsenal’s best all-round display against City during Arteta’s regime.
Unlike Walker, Gabriel didn’t dwell on his own lapse. The Brazilian deserves most of the blame for Erling Haaland’s opener as he drifted away from his center-back partner William Saliba, creating a gap that Savinho exploited following a quick touch away from Calafiori and pass through to the City striker. He wasn’t solely to blame – Savinho found it too easy to lose Calafiori and Saliba briefly considered engaging Ilkay Gundogan in the middle, unwittingly prying open a few more inches for Haaland – but Gabriel getting sucked toward Bernardo Silva’s movement was the most costly error of all.
Gabriel made amends with his goal and an outing that included five clearances and three blocked shots.
Pain and progress
A regular criticism of Arsenal in recent seasons is how they can unravel in critical moments. Many have opined that they lack the psychological endurance to topple Manchester City. Arteta’s side was unsettled after Declan Rice’s controversial red card against Brighton & Hove Albion in August, suggesting that this issue remained unresolved.
But Gabriel recovered from an individual perspective. Then, as a collective, Arsenal rolled up their sleeves after Trossard was sent off.
That’s not to say Arsenal’s tactics with 10 men were unfamiliar.
“I wouldn’t say Arsenal have mastered the dark arts. They’ve done it for a few years and we know to expect that. You can call it dirty or clever,” Stones said post-match, according to The Guardian’s Rob Smyth. “They break up the game which upsets the rhythm when you’re trying to get momentum.”
Yet, there was an extra edge to Arsenal. It didn’t feel lucky that they resisted 27 second-half shots from Manchester City – it was a triumph of mental stamina as undermanned Arsenal sat submerged in their defensive third in a 5-4-0 formation. City were running out of ideas against the Gunners’ two ultra-deep lines. David Raya’s excellent 87th-minute save to deny Josko Gvardiol’s volley marked a rare interlude from the series of passes around the force-field of Arsenal’s penalty area. City’s fraying patience was demonstrated by hopeful 25-yard efforts habitually hacked toward the Spaniard’s goal.
Arsenal were on the cusp of victory when a shot through the crowd, a bounce, and Stones’ scruffy close-range finish saw two points snatched away at the death. A heavy blow – but far from a critical one with so long left in the season and when the result still earns a point at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium. There was enough in this performance to feel encouraged for Arsenal’s title bid. There was pain and progress.
“It is already a miracle we played 56 minutes at the Etihad with 10 men. It is unbelievable what we have done,” Arteta told BBC Sport’s Match of the Day.
