Gabriel Martinelli struck in stoppage time to salvage a 1-1 draw for Arsenal against Manchester City at the Emirates on Sunday, denying Pep Guardiola’s side what looked like a precious victory.
City had gone ahead as early as the ninth minute through Erling Haaland. The Norwegian initiated a swift counterattack, combining with Tijjani Reijnders before racing clear to slot past David Raya for his seventh goal in six matches this season.
From there, City retreated into a defensive shell. Guardiola’s men sat deep in a 5-4-1 shape, focused on protecting their slender lead.
Arsenal pushed, with half-time substitutes Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze adding urgency. Eze saw a volley parried by Gianluigi Donnarumma, while Leandro Trossard narrowly missed turning home a low cross.
City threatened to double their lead before the hour when Haaland tested Raya, but Arsenal’s persistence finally paid off in the dying minutes.
Eze dropped deep to collect possession and lofted a superb ball over the top for Martinelli, who had come on with ten minutes to play. The Brazilian forward produced a brilliant outside-of-the-boot finish to beat Donnarumma and send the home crowd into raptures.
The result sees Arsenal climb back to second place in the Premier League table, though they now trail leaders Liverpool by five points. For City, the draw was a missed opportunity, their conservative approach ultimately punished by Martinelli’s late intervention.
