John Stones’ 98th-minute equaliser secured a 2-2 draw for Manchester City against 10-man Arsenal in a fiery Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
Arsenal played the second half with a man down after Leandro Trossard’s red card but were moments away from handing City their first home loss since November 2022. Despite the draw, City regained the top spot, two points ahead of Arsenal, who sit in fourth.
Erling Haaland’s 100th goal for City had given Pep Guardiola’s side an early lead. However, Arsenal fought back with a stunning strike from Riccardo Calafiori and a header from Gabriel Magalhaes.
Arsenal held firm with 10 men until the final moments when Stones bundled in after a corner to preserve City’s unbeaten home run.
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The match’s intensity was evident from the first whistle, with Arsenal’s Kai Havertz clattering into Rodri, who later exited with a knee injury. Haaland opened the scoring after just nine minutes, finishing off a through ball from Savinho.
Despite City’s strong start, Arsenal hit back, with Calafiori curling in a brilliant equalizer. Gabriel’s header from a Bukayo Saka corner gave Arsenal the lead before Trossard’s sending-off left them fighting to hold on.
Mikel Arteta’s men defended valiantly against relentless City pressure, with David Raya making key saves to deny Haaland and Josko Gvardiol. But the Gunners couldn’t withstand City’s final push, as Stones swept in a loose ball from a Jack Grealish cross to salvage a point.
