Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench to score a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser, securing a 1-1 draw for Arsenal against Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
This marked the second time in five days that Martinelli had salvaged a point for his team with a superb lob that caught City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma off-guard in the third minute of added time.
Manchester City had taken the lead early in the match, with Erling Haaland scoring just nine minutes in, prompting fears of a potentially sobering defeat for Mikel Arteta’s side. City’s impressive defensive display seemed poised to see them through to victory until Martinelli’s late intervention.
The draw leaves Arsenal five points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool, who have won all five of their matches thus far, while Pep Guardiola’s City find themselves eight points off the pace.
Before Sunday’s encounter, the Gunners prided themselves on not conceding a goal from open play this season. However, Haaland quickly dismantled that statistic, opening the scoring just eight minutes and 31 seconds into the match. The hosts struggled to maintain control in midfield as Haaland rolled past defender Gabriel and set up Tijjani Reijnders for a critical pass. With Arsenal’s backline stretched, William Saliba was caught in two minds as Haaland surged towards goal, flanked by Gabriel, Declan Rice, and Martín Zubimendi.
Reijnders delivered the pass at the perfect moment, allowing Haaland to deftly touch the ball forward and finish with precision, bringing his tally to 13 goals in eight matches for both City and Norway this season, as well as his fifth in seven league games against Arsenal.
In an apparent jibe aimed at Arteta, City’s social media account hailed Haaland as a “Finisher,” a term the Arsenal manager had recently used to commend Martinelli and Leandro Trossard for their impactful performances against Athletic Bilbao. Little did City know of Martinelli’s impending heroics.
As the first half progressed, the home crowd grew increasingly anxious, particularly when Haaland capitalised on sloppy defending to set up Reijnders for a shot from outside the box that was expertly saved by David Raya.
Although Arsenal struggled during the opening 45 minutes, they responded well towards the end of the half, with Noni Madueke testing Donnarumma with a strong near-post effort—Arsenal’s only shot on target in the period, as City maintained control.
In a bid to turn the tide after the break, Arteta introduced Bukayo Saka, returning after a month-long hamstring injury, alongside Eberechi Eze, replacing Madueke and Mikel Merino.
