New Delhi: It was a feiry contest between two major English title contenders, the champions Manchester City and last season’s runners up Arsenal. It was a match that many anticipated to be an early season title decider and it eventually ended all square with a thilling finish that saw City escaping the jaws of defeat in the very last minute of the game. Arsenal were trailing for the first time this season after Erling Haaland managed to score in the ninth minute of the game to make it 1-0 early in the game.
The confrontations began in the first five seconds of play when Havertz collided with Rodri and grabbed him by the throat just after kickoff, resulting in an early VAR review. After less than ten minutes, Haaland would give the home team the lead with a cool close-range finish following a Savinho pass. However, less than half an hour later, Rodri would have to be substituted due to a non-contact injury, raising doubts.
Man City make their second-half pressure pay to secure a point late on 🤝#MCIARS pic.twitter.com/N6EvWrJAAy
— Premier League (@premierleague) September 22, 2024
Arsenal would tie the score despite the game being stop-start; Calafiori took a fast free-kick and curled a spectacular strike past Ederson with the visiting team’s opening shot of the encounter. In stoppage time, Arteta’s team would again benefit from a set-piece as Gabriel nodded Saka’s corner home from close range. It was another defender for the Gunners who stepped up and found the back of the net.
Trossard’s second yellow card in less than 20 minutes left the Gunners with 10 men heading of the second half of play, considerably dampening an otherwise outstanding half from the visitors. After the break, Manchester City had more than 87% of the possession and had a total of 28 shots in the second half.
Despite Arsenal’s fierce and determined defensive unit, they were undone in the 98th minute when Stones scored from close range following a blocked Kovacic drive. As a result, both the sides remain undefeated as of now, with City still on top and Arsenal sitting fourth on table.
Player of the match: Savinho
Erling Haaland of Manchester City celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with teammates Josko Gvardiol and Savio during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Arsenal FC at Etihad Stadium on September 22, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
The player of the game has to be none other than Manchester City’s number 26, Savinho, who proved his worth to Pep’s star studded side. The 20 year old winger was a manace playing as a right winger as he managed to connect with Walker, before cutting inside ahead of Calafiori and sending an inch perfect pass towards the path of Erling Haaland, who outpaced Saliba and Gabriel before putting a low shot past Raya with the outside of his foot.
Besides that particular moment, Savinho also attracted a numerous fouls as the Arsenal defenders were finding it hard to cope up with the Brazilian winger. He can certainly prove to be a major factor in the upcoming games for Pep Guardiola’s side, and the Spanish mastermind is willing to trust his number 26 on the pitch. It would be interesting to see how his development takes place under Guardiola as he is just 20 and delivering some great performances.
Manchester City almost suffered a major defeat against Arsenal at home, but it was John Stones who rescued a point for the Cityzens to break Arsenal hearts. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
