Imagine Mafeking had fallen. In football terms, that is what happened here at the Etihad Stadium on a filthy afternoon in early autumn when the rain fell relentlessly and inexorably and Arsenal retreated to their ramparts and dedicated their hearts and their souls to repelling one of the Premier League’s greatest sieges.
After Arsenal had been reduced to 10 men on the stroke of half time, they fell back to the edge of their area for the 45 minutes of the second half and seven minutes of added time that remained and decided they would back their formidable defence to keep even an attacking side as gifted and as clever as Manchester City at bay.
And for almost all of that time, Arsenal held on to the 2-1 lead they held until relief was in sight and they could sense the joy that would assail them if they handed City their first home defeat in the Premier League since November 12, 2022, an invincible run that had lasted 680 days.
They knew, even at this early stage of the season, what a huge psychological advantage that would bring them against rivals they have not quite been able to beat to the league title in the last two seasons. They drew 0-0 here last season and it was not enough. They knew they needed to win.
Their defiance was magnificent. The match turned into a training game of attack versus defence. The best attack in the league versus the best defence. Erling Haaland, who had just scored his 100th City goal in only his 105th appearance for the club, equalling Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for Real Madrid, against Gabriel and William Saliba.
John Stones (right) scored the equaliser for Manchester City with just seconds remaining on the clock
The defender saved City from what looked like a certain defeat against a 10-man Arsenal
Arsenal’s defenders looked crestfallen after failing to see out victory against their title rivals
And for so long, Arsenal kept Haaland and Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish and Savinho at bay. David Raya was superb in the Arsenal goal, making save after save, until the crowd grew despondent and City struggled to find the improvisation or the spontaneity to make the breakthrough.
And then, when Arsenal seemed to have broken City’s hearts in a match that could not have been more dramatically different to the stalemate that so many had predicted, the champions finally found a way.
Grealish took a quick corner, the ball was rifled into the box, it took a deflection and fell at the feet of John Stones who slammed it goalwards. Raya almost saved that shot, too, but it flew up off his legs and into the roof of the net. At the very last, the siege had broken the will of the defenders.
Arsenal can be proud of what they achieved but there is no disputing who felt as if they had won the game at the end. City celebrated for all they were worth. Arsenal were crestfallen. City stay top of the table. Arsenal are chasing. And still City will not break. And still Arsenal cannot break them.
Before the game, everybody had spoken of how Arsenal had to win to loosen City’s psychological stranglehold over them. The only problem with that is that City’s unbeaten run at the Etihad stretched back 47 games. Beating them is not an easy task. Arsenal have not managed it for nine years.
The game began in controversy. Bernardo Silva played the ball back from the kick-off and when Kai Havertz tried to chase the ball down, Rodri stood in his way, as defenders are wont to do. Havertz barged into him and Rodri fell to the ground and lay there motionless. It was an overreaction and referee Michael Oliver treated it as such.
Those who were expecting a game devoid of chances got their first surprise in the seventh minute when Ilkay Gundogan ran on to a pass from Silva. His first touch took it over an Arsenal defender and left him with only David Raya to beat. Gundogan volleyed wide.
Two minutes later, City were ahead. Savinho turned superbly on half way and slid a ball into the path of Haaland. Haaland is clever as well as deadly and he had held his run just long enough to remain onside. He outstripped Gabriel and toe-poked his shot past Raya for his landmark strike.
Erling Haaland toe-poked the ball past David Raya to score the opening goal of the game
The Norwegian’s strike was his 100th Premier League goal in just his 105th appearance for City
Haaland’s City teammates rushed over to celebrate his landmark goal against the Gunners
After Gabriel had fouled Savinho on the edge of the box after a quarter of an hour, City came close to extending their lead. Gundogan took the free kick and curled it round the wall. Raya flung himself to his left but was relieved to see the ball cannon off the outside of his post.
City were rampant but soon afterwards, they suffered a grievous blow. Rodri fell again under an Arsenal challenge, this time from Thomas Partey. Again, it seemed innocuous at first. But it soon became obvious Rodri was hurt. When he sat up, tears were running down his face.
Replays showed he had jarred his knee as he fell and, after treatment, he limped from the pitch and was replaced by Mateo Kovacic. He spoke to Guardiola as he went down the tunnel and shook his head ruefully.
There was no let-up in the pace of the game. It was breathless. Arsenal took a quick free quick, Gabriel Martinelli burst down the left and laid the ball back into the path of Riccardo Calafiori. Calafiori met it first time and curled it beautifully away from Ederson with his left foot, high into the corner of the net.
Guardiola reacted angrily on the bench, aiming a karate kick at his seat, and his players protested furiously to Mr Oliver. The referee had blown his whistle but Kyle Walker, who had been caught out by the initial pass, felt he had not been given to resume his position after Mr Oliver had called him over for a warning.
Riccardo Calafiori levelled the scores with a stunning curling strike from long range
The Italian raced over to Arsenal’s bench to celebrate and leapt into Mikel Arteta’s arms
City’s Kyle Walker was fuming with the referee after he got caught out against Arsenal
Gabriel should have scored seven minutes before half time when he rose majestically at the back post to meet a deep corner from Bukayo Saka. Gabriel buried a header for the winner against Spurs last weekend but this time, he headed over the bar.
It was just a rehearsal. As the clock ticked over into six minutes of added time, Saka took another corner to the back post. Gabriel escaped Walker as they jockeyed on the edge of the area, hurtled towards goal and met the corner at full tilt, bulging the net with the power of his header.
But then, right at the end of added time, Trossard, who had already been booked for pulling back an opponent, barged into the back of Bernardo Silva as he leapt for a high ball, sending him to the ground.
It might have warranted a yellow card on its own but when Trossard booted the ball away, it sealed his fate. He was shown a second yellow. The Arsenal players reacted with the kind of horrified astonishment that suggested they had never heard of this rule, even though Declan Rice had been dismissed for a version of the same offence against Brighton a few weeks ago.
Trossard lingered and lingered on the pitch. Maybe he was trying to come to terms with his own foolishness. In the end, he was persuaded to walk off and was met with consoling embraces by Arsenal’s coaches on the touchline.
Gabriel put Arsenal ahead just before half time with a towering header from a Saka corner
But the joy was short-lived after Leandro Trossard received his second yellow card
Arteta gave Trossard a hug after the Belgian was sent off and reduced Arsenal to ten men
In that instant, the match appeared to have swung City’s way again, even if they were still a goal behind. Arteta took Saka off at half time and replaced him with Ben White. Arsenal started the second half playing five in defence and four in midfield. In the days before low blocks, it was called ‘parking the bus’.
City laid siege to the Arsenal goal and Arsenal sat back and poured everything into repelling them. Raya beat away a piledriver from Walker and then dived low to his left to push out a towering header from Haaland.
City played the ball ceaselessly across the face of the Arsenal area, probing, probing, probing. Raya made another superb save, diving low to block a snap shot from Josko Gvardiol with his legs. Arsenal were resolute but it still felt it was only a matter of time until City equalised.
When Raya went down, claiming injury midway through the half, it was another flashpoint. The crowd smelled skulduggery and Bernardo Silva and Guardiola both appeared to be angered by the antics of Nicolas Jover, the Arsenal set-piece coach, who has many talents, among which is winding up the opposition.
There was another roar of derision from the home fans when Calafiori went down off the ball with less than 20 minutes to go and also signalled he needed treatment. Eventually, he was replaced by Jakub Kiwior.
The minutes wore on. It began to seem as if Arsenal were going to do it. Raya pulled off yet another fine save, diving to his left to keep out a fierce volley from Gvardiol. City’s fans grew enraged.
It seemed the siege was over. Then Stones burst through the defences.
