Manchester City and Arsenal played out an intense 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium, with John Stones scoring a dramatic equaliser in the 98th minute.
City opened the scoring early in the match through Erling Haaland, who netted his 100th goal for the club. Momentum seemed to be in favor of the reigning champions until they lost Rodri to injury in the 20th minute. Arsenal responded with a stunning equaliser from Riccardo Calafiori and took the lead just before halftime when Gabriel scored with a powerful header.
However, Arsenal’s hopes of claiming all three points were complicated when Leandro Trossard was sent off for a second yellow card shortly before the break. The Gunners were forced to defend for much of the second half against a relentless City attack.
Despite Arsenal’s valiant efforts, Stones struck late to secure a point for City, maintaining their unbeaten home run which extends to 48 games. The result keeps Manchester City two points clear of Arsenal in the league standings.
Pep Guardiola acknowledged the growing rivalry with Arsenal, praising their quality and competitiveness in the league. Meanwhile, Arsenal’s solid defense, despite being down to ten men, demonstrated their potential as title contenders this season.
Afterward, both teams expressed mixed feelings about the outcome, but there was a consensus that the match significantly impacted the title race, proving Arsenal can challenge the champions even under challenging circumstances.