John Stones’ dramatic 98th-minute equaliser secured a 2-2 draw for Manchester City against Arsenal, who played the entire second half with 10 men in a feisty Premier League contest on Sunday.
Arsenal had been on the verge of handing City their first home defeat since November 2022, despite losing Leandro Trossard to a red card just before half-time. Manchester City reclaimed the Premier League top spot with the draw, sitting two points ahead of Arsenal, who now sit fourth.
Erling Haaland’s early strike, his 100th goal for City, had put Pep Guardiola’s side in front. However, Arsenal responded with a stunning long-range effort from Riccardo Calafiori and a towering header from Gabriel Magalhaes, turning the match in their favour despite the numerical disadvantage.
City capitalised on relentless pressure in the dying moments as Stones fired home from a poorly cleared corner.
The game sparked into life within seconds, with Arsenal’s Kai Havertz crashing into Rodri, who required medical attention.
Guardiola acknowledged that Manchester City had benefitted from an extra day of rest after their midweek Champions League draw against Inter Milan, while Arsenal had been in action in Italy against Atalanta.
City’s early pressure paid off when Haaland slotted home from Savinho’s pass after just nine minutes, but the match’s momentum shifted when Rodri left the field injured.
Arsenal soon levelled through Calafiori’s brilliant curling strike, his first goal for the Gunners, before Gabriel headed in from a Bukayo Saka corner to take the lead.
Arsenal’s task became harder when Trossard received a second yellow card for time-wasting. Despite being reduced to 10 men, Mikel Arteta’s side put up a staunch defensive display, nearly holding out for a famous win.
However, Stones’ goal at the last breath kept City’s unbeaten home record intact and underlined their resilience as title favourites.
