A spirited tie between Arsenal and Manchester City was the result of a plethora of incidents. Erling Haaland, Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel, and John Stones all scored goals.
Arsenal and Manchester City have been the most successful clubs in the Premier League for the past two seasons.
Their meetings have been reminiscent of gargantuan confrontations in the pursuit of determining the victor of the nation’s premier division; however, they have not consistently provided the level of entertainment that some would anticipate given the caliber of the players on display. Although Sunday’s match may not have been characterized by an abundance of free-flowing football, it nevertheless provided the entertainment and drama that are indicative of the game, in a manner that was reminiscent of the old-fashioned confrontations between Manchester United and Arsenal.
The scene was set for the events that were to follow when Rodri collided with the ground in the first seconds of the game. After colliding with Kai Havertz, the Spain star was left grasping his face; however, no red card offense was determined to have occurred.
The contest commenced with a robust start, and Erling Haaland promptly scored the first goal. The City forward scored his tenth goal of the season and his 100th goal for the club in 105 appearances. He outpaced Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes before slotting the ball past David Raya.However, Pep Guardiola’s team did not have to wait long to experience a setback. In the sixteenth minute, Rodri received a challenge from Thomas Partey and fell, grasping his leg.
Rodri was ultimately compelled to leave the field, leaving him in tears, despite VAR’s determination that the incident was unworthy of intervention. The game’s momentum was abruptly altered upon the introduction of Mateo Kovacic to replace the 28-year-old.
Arsenal promptly executed a free kick subsequent to the resumption. Riccardo Calafiori received the ball after Gabriel Martinelli drove at City’s defense. An impressive strike was launched by the Italian defender on his full debut to equalize the contest.The city was incensed. It was suggested that Arsenal’s initial free kick was taken from a more advantageous position, which resulted in Ederson receiving a yellow card.
At this juncture, the Gunners seized control of the game and were able to achieve additional success before the half reached its conclusion. In order to provide the visitors with an advantage, Gabriel returned home from Bukayo Saka’s corner.
It was an additional objective that was not without controversy. Ruben Dias was issued a yellow card for his protestations, despite the fact that Gabriel Martinelli did not tackle Ederson in the lead-up to Gabriel’s attempt, as determined by VAR.Nevertheless, the half did not conclude at that point, as additional drama was revealed in the eighth minute of stoppage time. Leandro Trossard brazenly fouled Bernado Silva before propelling the ball away after the referee’s siren had gone.
The Belgian was issued his departure orders after receiving his second yellow card, much to Arsenal’s disbelief. The Gunners’ players frantically protested on the field, and Arteta half-removed his uniform before presenting his case to the fourth official, but his efforts were unsuccessful.
Ben White replaced Bukayo Saka during the interval as Arsenal implemented a back five in an effort to impede the Premier League champions. The Gunners were able to complete only 13 passes in the first 15 minutes following half-time, while Manchester City dominated possession with their one-man advantage. As a result, City completed 138 passes.Michael Oliver was not always forthright in believing the Gunners’ claims of cramps, as opportunities were seized by Arsenal’s stars to go down in a bid to pass time over. Despite having yet to make his Premier League debut, Arsenal prospect Myles Lewis-Skelly was cautioned by the official for a statement he made as David Raya sought to confuse and extend his opponents.
The drama was once again intensified during stoppage time. Initially, Jurrien Timber collapsed and claimed an injury. Oliver responded by inviting Arsenal to send the ball out themselves. The ball was launched by Raya up the field, but it did not exit the field of play. City was able to retain possession of the ball. However, the official halted play, which caused the host team to become frustrated. Bernado Silva was issued a yellow card.
City ultimately scored seven minutes later. The ball was intercepted by John Stones, who proceeded to scramble into the net, inciting ebullient celebrations. Haaland was seen tossing the ball at an Arsenal defender, and there was also some tension between the benches.Things escalated on the field subsequent to the resumption. Lewis-Skelly, who had just made his début, was attempting to obstruct Haaland, who was attempting to press the ball. He was subsequently flattened. Gabriel then engaged in a head-to-head match with City’s forward as full-time approached.
Mirror Football has compiled a list of the dramatic flashpoints from the match, which saw 33 attempts from City and five from Arsenal, as well as seven yellow cards apiece.
Dramatic timeline
1 minute – Rodri collides with Havertz from the kick-off, resulting in his collapse to the ground and the subsequent holding of his face. The Spaniard is surrounded by players from both teams, but VAR does not issue a card, as it observes the incident without intervening.
Haaland engages in a competition with William Saliba for an aerial ball, which lasts for five minutes. The Norway international’s determination to maintain the game’s momentum was evident as each player soared through the air.
Haaland scores his 100th Manchester City goal to give his team the lead and allay any concerns that he would be unable to score against Gabriel and Saliba in the ninth minute.
16 minutes: Rodri sustains an injury as a result of Partey’s challenge. The midfielder, who had been a critical component of City’s control up until this point, was compelled to leave the field during his inaugural Premier League appearance of the season.
Riccardo Calafiori scores on his Premier League complete debut with a thunderbolt at the 22-minute mark, prompting a protest from Manchester City, who claimed Arsenal had taken a free kick in the build-up. Ederson was issued a yellow card.
Trossard obtains his initial yellow card for a cynical tackle at the 34-minute mark.
During the 45+1 minute mark, Gabriel scores his second header in a week after it was determined that Martinelli did not tackle Ederson. Once Ruben Dias demanded that an infraction be awarded, he was subsequently shown yellow.
After receiving a second yellow card, Leandro Trossard was dismissed after 45 minutes.
Lewis-Skelly was issued a yellow card after engaging in conversation with the referee, despite having not yet appeared in the Premier League, at the 65-minute mark.
Declan Rice was issued a yellow card for prolonging the resumption prior to a throw-in at the 83-minute mark.
Oliver invites Arsenal to send the ball out after Timber falls at the 91st minute. Despite City’s decision to retain Raya’s kick upfield, the referee ultimately becomes frustrated with the team.
In the 98th minute, John Stones scores the equalizer for City, and Haaland celebrates by throwing the ball off an Arsenal player.
99 minutes – The game was halted when Haaland collided with Myles Lewis-Skelly, who was attempting to obstruct his charge from the resumption. Gabriel is then confronted by Haaland.
