Arsenal, reduced to 10 men for the entire second half after Leandro Trossard was sent off, came within seconds of handing City their first home defeat in nearly two years. Despite the draw, City reclaimed top spot in the Premier League, sitting two points ahead of fourth-placed Arsenal.
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Erling Haaland opened the scoring for City with his 100th goal for the club in just 105 appearances. However, Arsenal fought back with a stunning strike from Riccardo Calafiori and a header from Gabriel Magalhaes, who once again proved lethal from a set piece.
Arsenal’s momentum took a hit just before halftime when Trossard was dismissed for a second yellow card after delaying play by kicking the ball away. Despite being down to 10 men, Mikel Arteta’s side mounted a determined defensive effort, holding off wave after wave of City attacks.
Haaland threatened with a powerful header, and City’s centre-backs, including Josko Gvardiol, tested Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya with long-range efforts. Arsenal’s backline stood firm until the dying moments when John Stones capitalized on a failure to clear a corner, sweeping in Jack Grealish’s cross to level the score.
The tone for this intense encounter was set early when Kai Havertz clattered into Rodri, forcing the City midfielder off with a knee injury in the first half. Pep Guardiola, who had lamented Arsenal’s extra travel time from their midweek Champions League fixture in Italy, saw his team burst out of the gates to score early.
Despite the draw, City extended their nearly two-year unbeaten streak at home, as the match offered a glimpse of what could be a decisive battle for the Premier League title come May.
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