When John Stones put the ball into David Raya's net in the eighth minute of stoppage time in the second half, Arsenal's players seemed to have completely collapsed. They played a tight defense and struggled throughout the second half, even having a possession rate of only 3%. However, in the end, Mikel Arteta's team still could not take the 3 points and go home.
Under Arteta, Arsenal won at the Etihad last year. However, this match was more dramatic, tense and emotional. The Gunners showed maturity in both their playing style and spirit when facing the defending champions.
Right after the opening whistle, Kai Havertz had a confrontation with Rodri. That collision did not bring any positive signals in terms of tactics but it showed the fighting spirit of The Gunners. They are ready to collide and play on par with Man City in every aspect at Etihad. Arsenal under Mikel Arteta still plays beautiful football but when they need to be rough and tough, they can do it too.
After Leandro Trossard received his second yellow card, it seemed like Arsenal would collapse immediately. But on the contrary, they showed more solidity. The 6-3-0 formation completely blocked Man City's attackers. It had been a long time since fans had seen The Citizens having to pass across the goal so much but still had no way to break through.
Defense is the foundation for a team to aim for the championship. Against the strongest opponent in the world like Man City and playing away, that is the perfect solution to the test of The Gunners' endurance.
After scoring the opening goal, Erling Haaland was almost helpless, a bit panicked when surrounded by a large number of Arsenal players in the penalty area. The Norwegian superstar could only stand and wait for his teammates to finish from the second line in vain. Even young talent Myles Lewis-Skelly became a true warrior when he was put on the field.
After the match, Bernardo Silva had to exclaim that only one team came to Etihad to play football (referring to Arsenal's negative defense). Before that, Kyle Walker repeatedly complained to the referee about being pulled out during the opponent's quick free kick, leading to no one covering from a distance, allowing Riccardo Calafiori to score a super goal. All of that shows the helplessness of the Etihad stars. They still maintain a 22-month unbeaten streak at home but have never been as frustrated as the Super Sunday match with Arsenal.
Not Manchester United, Arsenal is now Manchester City's most formidable rival. This was shown through the collision between Kai Havertz and Rodri, then Thomas Partey's turn. Riccardo Calafiori and Savinho were also not easy. Finally, Erling Haaland threw the ball at Gabriel Magalhaes' head. All of these situations only happened in a true Derby of great rivals.
After the match, Mikel Arteta did not blame or justify the last-second goal. He was proud of his players and said that if they had to play with 10 men against Man City for 56 minutes, any team could have conceded many goals. The Spanish strategist shared that this draw was regrettable in terms of the result but it was a huge step forward for the club. In the near future, Arsenal is expected to be even more worth watching in this year's championship race.
