LATEST NEWS: David Raya expressed his surprise at his Arsenal teammate’s performance against Manchester City, stating, “I’ve given the Man of the Match award back to him because he truly deserved it more than I did. He came on as a substitute but achieved what others couldn’t.”
Arsenal faced a heartbreaking 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium, with the match beginning poorly for the Gunners. Early on, Erling Haaland managed to slice through their defense, scoring past David Raya and putting Arsenal on the back foot. To compound their struggles, Ilkay Gundogan struck the post with a free kick, indicating that it was going to be a challenging afternoon for Arsenal.
Despite this rough start, Arsenal found their footing and equalized with a remarkable strike from Riccardo Calafiori, who scored after a quickly taken free kick. Just before halftime, Gabriel scored with a header from a corner delivered by Bukayo Saka, which gave the Gunners a surprising lead. Although Arsenal appeared to be in control, the dynamics of the match shifted dramatically when Leandro Trossard received a second yellow card for time-wasting, forcing Arsenal to defend diligently throughout the second half.
Player Ratings:
– David Raya (8): Made several important saves, particularly a critical one against Haaland in the second half, and demonstrated effective game management through strategic time-wasting.
– Jurrien Timber (8): Showed excellent defensive skills, keeping Doku under control in the first half and managing Savinho well during the second.
– William Saliba (7): Maintained a solid and composed presence on the field, contributing significantly to the defense after conceding the early goal.
– Gabriel (8): Although he had a shaky start, he became increasingly influential in the game, scoring from a corner and excelling defensively in the second half.
– Riccardo Calafiori (6): Scored a stunning goal, but his defensive performance was less reliable, marked by some hasty decisions.
– Thomas Partey (7): Struggled with positioning on the opening goal but rebounded to fulfill an excellent defensive role, particularly in the second half.
– Declan Rice (7): Adjusted well to playing in an unfamiliar position on the right side of central midfield and exhibited tireless effort throughout the match.
– Bukayo Saka (7): Provided a superb corner that led to Gabriel’s goal but was substituted at halftime due to Trossard’s red card.
– Gabriel Martinelli (8): Worked diligently off the ball and displayed quality in possession, providing excellent deliveries and dribbling down the left flank.
– Leandro Trossard (6): Was unfortunate to receive a second yellow card, which changed the course of the game; he had been relatively quiet prior to that incident.
– Kai Havertz (8): Played with determination, contributing defensively and setting the tone for Arsenal’s fighting spirit with a strong early challenge on Rodri.
Substitutes:
– Ben White (8): Despite facing a pre-match issue, he was solid and alert in defense after coming on at halftime, reinforcing the team’s defensive line.