It was certainly a very strange start to the game as just seconds after kick off we had a whistle from the ref and a VAR check to decide whether to send off Kai Havertz!
If it was a tactic to unsettle Arsenal it worked, as just 2 minutes after the restart Haaland was unmarked and left through for an easy goal slotted past Raya. The worst possible start for Arsenal.
The first 20 minutes was half spent with Man City players writhing on the floor, and one of them may have actually been injured! In fact Rodri did not look well when he was lead off the pitch.
When the game finally got going again, City’s moaning backfired as they were still arguing with the ref after he gave us a free kick. We took it quivckly and Martinelli broke down the wing. He paased it to a sprinting Calafiori who wallopped it into the corner of the net from long range. What a great debut from the Italian.
Of course City argued with the ref for 5 minutes until VAR confirmed the goal stood and it was all square again.
Arsenal were back in the game and started piling on the pressure. Gabriel headed over the bar from a corner, but he didn’t make a mistake with the next one and suddenly we were in the lead. At the Etihad!
But of course disaster struck when with literally seconds before the whistle for half time, Trossard crazily kicked the ball away right in front of the ref and gave him a second yellow.
Arsenal went into the dressing room with 2-1 lead but faced the next 45 minutes with only ten men against Man City. At the Etihad! Arteta was fuming naturally.
Arteta brought on Ben White for the second half and it looked like we were going for a back 5 to try and hold onto our lead, and we prepared to see Raya’s goal being peppered for the rest of the game. In the pouring rain.
In the first 15 minutes the stats were crazy, with City making over 100 passes to Arsenal’s TWO, but Arsenal kept hanging in there, with Rays extremely busy indeed.
Arsenal continued defending dourly and when we finally got a goal kick, all the players went off to have a long chat with Arteta on the touchline, and Myles-Skelly got booked without ever playing a game!
Crazy game! We had to wait til 20 minutes before the end before we even got the ball into Man City’s half, but it didn’t last long. With 15 minutes to go, Man City seemed to be getting frustrated as they can’t find a way through Arsenal’s ten man defence, and are reduced to trying long shots from distance, with no luck at all.
Arsenal got their second freekick of the half with 8 minutes to go, but only managed to waste anthercouple of minutes. The Arsenal fans are all down that end and went crazy as they haven’t their team in this half.
Down the other end again, and Foden unleashed a shot but Raya was equal to it. Then Gabriel went down in the box and Arsenal are looking exhausted and everyone is lying on the ground asking to be subbed off,but City are getting more and more frustrated. Arsenal were given 7 minutes of added time to pull off the heist of the season.
Arteta put Myles-Skelly on for his debut, and the defence (all 9 of them) held on like warriors, with Raya the star as usual… But of course disaster struck in the 97th minute with Stones poking in the equaliser and Haaland threw his toys out of the pram as usual.
We may not have won, but morally we were far superior, and a point at the Etihad is not bad with ten men!
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Lmao come on city. Shitty team. Celebrating a draw against 10 men when they’re 12.
You can’t win a league that is basically handed to you, like it is to city. Eff off
We already know the league is set up for them to win every season and we battle both City and PGMOL. Liverpool had to do the same thing to win just their one title. We’ve given ourselves a chance today. We now need to go on a run. COYG!
Oh stop it, how old are you? 12 possibly?
Gtfo bro
You think just because the league takes place in a rich first world country that is overall well respected that corruption is not rampant and constant just like with any other institution. Where have you been the past at least 5+ seasons to see City get away with so many calls and their rivals constantly get punished? We can only say the refs are bad at their jobs for so long before it’s obvious it’s on purpose. City would literally have one less league title if refs called that blatant handball on Rodri against Everton. A BLATANT handball. But the rulebook goes completely out the window for them every season. And if you don’t think City will walk away from these 115 without a single scratch you aren’t paying attention. No other club would even have gotten away with it so long, let alone been able to kick it down the can season after season. Corrupt club, corrupt institutions throughout English football. There are entire countries involved in the game now and you don’t think there’s behind door payments happening? Be real
It hurts
It was a second of concentration lapse in the last minute
If we had closed down that quick corner – We would have won
Jesus’ cameo was good
More injuries
Jesus screwed up and cost us 2 points. All he had to do was kick that ball. Instead went looking for a foul and gave Citeh a cornet. Good job team Arsenal. Now I believe we will win the title.
They gave their all. Well done boys! You can’t ask anything more from what we can control.
First half added time…..Red card
Second half added time… conceded a goal
Just end the game….it’s past official added time.
On to the next one
At the start of the season they should just play between City and Pool couple of matches & declare the champions! Then season can start for the rest.
Immensely proud of this team, herculean effort in the 2nd half, 10 vs 12. This game further solidifies that I will never respect any of City achievements NEVER.
They are in collusion with some ref and its blatant for the past 7 years. It is similar to lance armstrong for those who follow cycling, systematic cheating which would have never been caught if he didn’t admit it years later.
The English are incapable of admitting this league is just as corrupt as any other. The denial is insane.
In January we have to add a striker and at least two refs😂
Thats Spurs, City, Villa, Brighton matches already completed, no losses. That is champion form and we are so far away from hitting our stride. We just keep going onto the next one. As long as keep avoid some injuries and stay focused we’ll have a shot.
I never say this but this was some seriously poor refereeing. Trossard was given a second yellow for delaying the start when it seemed like a kick in the flow of the game. The game was killed at that moment. Our boys played brilliantly. Hats off to them.
I never thought I’d say this, but I now genuinely believe the refs are biased against us.
All I have heard is that the ref had no choice but to send Rice off. “It’s the letter of the law” we are constantly being told. Yet ever since then, the ref’s have made a conscious decision to only apply that law to us.
Szoboszlai was on yellow when we booted the ball away at a Forest restart, yet no second yellow? Doku kicked it away today, which the Arsenal players highlighted to the ref, and he decided he didn’t want to apply the law.
Yet when Trossard does it, the eagerness to apply the law, in a much more defining way as it was a sending off, as if his hands are tied.
I really hope Arteta brings up the Doku situation in the press conference, and the ref’s decision to ignore it.
So proud of the boys. Unbelievable effort against a corrupt club and corrupt ref!
Can’t add anything to that as you are so spot on
The rice one was so different – he knew what he was doing and there was no room for benefit of the doubt. The ref could have let it go, but the yellow card was definitely defensible. For this one, trossard was facing away and it was very plausible he didn’t hear a whistle or didn’t have time to react to it and was simply continuing playing. I don’t think the ref allowed for benefit of the doubt, which imo was extremely unfair.
On the doku one, I think he was kicking it back to where it should have been taken, which seems to have been signaled by the ref (I’m not 100% clear on this so please take it as a devil’s advocate argument)- I dont think players should be doing that, I think that should be up to the ref to ensure its taken at the right place, but it would be a different situation that theoretically doesn’t slowing down the play because we’d have to have moved the ball back anyway (if I’ve read it correctly).
On the others, I don’t know.
The half should have ended long before the Trossard incident even got a chance to take place. What a corrupt league. Filthy!
All I saw was City, 4th in row champions, celebrating the draw at their home like they won the league, was the highlight of the match for me.
I would like to hear Rodri speak about it.
@Daulat
They were celebrating, because they knew that before halftime they were heading for a loss. Our tails were up and we were ready to do em. That is until the red…🫤
Agree, we could’ve done them with 11 men. They didn’t expect us to come out like that after the Haaland goal. But our players need to be wary of the 12th City man on the field, that also play with other teams against Arsenal.
Thèse f***ing refs have to be hokd accountable….others than that WE gave our all and it’s a very good point but unfurtunatly with City even if you win they’r will catch over the course of the Season!!!
Hold….catch You
Magnificent performance against 12 men.
Arsenal women game stops on time while we are attacking.
Arsenal men game carries on well past 7 mins
Both games against man city and if there was no truth in referees being a little bit suspicious, wouldn’t they come out and some so? So proud of our boys today but so much wrong with football today, embarrassing for the Premier league but especially for anyone who has ever refereed a game of football
How come all the uniformed no-no’s turn up on match days?
A hard earned point in a great game. No complaints from me, other than for Trossards stupid actions to get himself twice yellow carded.
…uninformed no-no’s
Arsenal draw in the 12 (MNC +PGMOL) vs 10 (Arsenal) is a great one. I repeat, the earlier we learn to substitute our players immediately they have yellow card, the more we avoid losing point through red cards.
Thanks to Calafiori’s courage and unorthodox debut goal.
Was it really like that Jax?
So many – mostly as upset as me – say otherwise. I could only listen to the second half on Arsenal radio. Hard fought- definitely but not unlucky to have a deflected goal against us?
So annoying to have so many blips
I wrote a reply Jax and it’s gone AWOL. Grr
Well ther it is – turned up immediately I wrote my last post
Very proud of this team fought till the end only just! This boys are fighters. Onto the next one
When Rice was sent off some people were defending the officials.. and started giving us laws of the game … Now tell us what happened today when Trossard was issued a second yellow the VAR narration was even different with the premier league narrative…. Are you still doubtful of the nonsense and stupidity going on in premier league officiating…. As usual the spoil a well entertaining match into a boring one for larger part of the match …. I’m proud of my Team tho nice fight.
Two different incidents – I thought the rice one was fine but this one wasn’t.
Agree – team was great today. We have so much resilience.
Great performance today👏.
It was a “spectacle” but not for the right reasons. The referee lost control in the first minute virtually and it got worse from then on until he went OTT at the end of the half, presumably to try and compensate. Another “bookings-fest”, although not quite Chelsea/Bournemouth.
Anyway, most Gooners would have taken a point as a good result prior to the game – me included – so although we missed out on all three at the worst time of all in the last minute or so, it’s still good. City aren’t five points clear barely out of September and Arsenal produced another stunning defensive performance overall.
Not the very best outcome, but not a disaster by any means either. Let’s move on to the next game.
* nearly out of September
2 soft red cards & 4 possible points lost for Arsenal. Now if we consider the last 2 seasons & how close we were to the City, this has significant impact on title race.
Other impact could be that soon Arsenal players may be lose motivation & some of them who wants to win may start thinking about leaving the club ( can’t blame them)
This is because no other team challenge Man City except Arsenal.
You said my mind Vithal
uh… City lost 2 points also today so your comment doesnt make sense !
I was wondering how Arteta will handle this game with the injury and the display I saw against in Italy on Thursday. He did well. The boys did well. But I’m disappointed that we didn’t get the 3 points as we were so close to that.
When the season ends and posts are made about how we were pants against Everton or Ipswich, I shall be silently remembering how matches can turn in an instant
I could only listen to Arsenal.com but I am immensely proud of our team with numerical odds stacked against us, coming a gnats knacker from winning – on merit
I thought it was hard game for.oliver to ref
for everyone berating the ref and saying there is a conspiracy against afc
1 LT made a lazy challenge first and fore most and 2nd he knows he’s on a yellow. Dont give the ref a decision to make, which he did.
Imo after DC he deserved to go.
The boys the manager the club have gone toe to toe with the best team in the prem with 10 men and gain a point
The positive thing is the team, the manager, the fans are disappointed with dropping 2 points rather then gaining 1 point.
I feel flat but so happy
Well done!
Onwards and upwards
I agree, somewhat but Oliver let City get away with more. Often the case when you are at home but he didn’t have a good game. Not for what he did right but the things he let go for City.
@Alanball08
Real Talk 👍🏾
We’re 2 points less than city but we already played 3 away games which will pave our way to lead shortly.Villa,spurs and city are very difficult turfs to take points.I hope the injured players would recover soon.
Agree, the only minus was the poor home game with Brighton.
A very very good draw. We don’t know what would have happened 11 v 11 but a draw us a very good result. Im a big fan of Trossard but please, you are on a yellow, dont give the ref (oliver) who did let city get away with more, a chances to make a decision. We have been here before. Learn!!!!!
I think Raya was good again today, everyone dug in, lead by a resolute Partey. The only real minus was again, Martinelli and his inability to get a ball down and do something. Haverz played well and made himself a menace.
time for Jesus to have a run out and Martinelli to come off the bench…
Reggie
Like you was a tad disappointed with Martinelli.
Going forward and holding the ball, forcing us further up the pitch with sneaky throw ins and fouls but hats off to him on Going the other way
Dug in as you say amd defended. Done nothing crazy. Stayed on his feet in dangerous areas and put another body in between them and our goals.
We have matured as a team as boys to men.
When you start getting the best team in the prem rattled and needles you know you are gaining on them
John stone mentioning we are good at the dark arts…nice 😀
Not lose at any cost
Rather then lose in glory
How things have changed
2 or 3 seasons back we would have gone down by 4 or 5
Onwards and upwards
Ps
Thought if timber and Calafiori had managed to stay on the pitch we would have seen it through which bodes well for the future
We have a beast of a defence with back ups
A goal keeper growing in stature at each game
It’s a long season but
👍 Martinelli worked hard but just lacked composure.
Agree, why is the letter of the law only applied with Arsenal. Have you seen anyone sent of for delaying a throw for instance? Or was it a one time Arsenal. Did Liverpool lose a man for a more blatant kick away than rice or is it just arsenal?
A great performance by the defensive unit. We have done really well to get the results from 3 away games in 7 days. We have made progress with our ability and our mentality.
97 minutes showed as additional time but the ref didn’t stop the game at that time and the goal was scored on 98 minutes 🤷🏽♀️
This the same ref who refused to send kovacic last year
I remember rightly Howard Wep saying the ref didn’t want to spoil the game by sending him off 😂
So I wonder what’s the different
Gets paid to ref in Emirates too for 10k plus but not bribery, obviously people in the Emirates turn up to see the ref obviously.
I’m not unaware of Emirates but it’s factually correct and double insulting so win win.
What a performance! Pgmol is going to pgmol. Liverpool had a 2bd yellow not given for kicking the ball away last week. And doku moments before Trossard kicked the ball away. Conspiracy is real and we got the result anyway. Big up arteta and the boys! Resilience.
Man City if you can play fair, just forget it. Thank you.
Balotelli, why always me expect we doing nothing difrrent to deserve it. Sums it up perfectly.