Gabriel Martinelli rescued Arsenal with a dramatic 93rd-minute equaliser to secure a 1-1 draw against Manchester City in a tense Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium.
City struck early through Erling Haaland, who finished a clinical counter-attack in the ninth minute, wrong-footing David Raya to silence the home crowd. City looked in control for large spells, especially in the first-half.
Mikel Arteta’s side struggled to create chances in the first half, with his starting midfield trio of Zubimendi, Rice, and Merino failing to break City down. But the introduction of Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze after the break injected much-needed urgency into Arsenal’s play. Eze forced a sharp save from Gianluigi Donnarumma, while Zubimendi went close from distance.
City responded by switching to a back five late on, with Pep Guardiola looking to lock down the result. However, Arsenal’s persistence paid off in stoppage time when Eze slid a perfectly weighted pass through to Martinelli, who calmly lifted it over Donnarumma to send the Emirates into raptures.
Martinelli’s impact mirrored his recent heroics in Europe and highlighted Arteta’s growing reliance on his bench. The draw extends Arteta’s unbeaten run against Guardiola to five matches, while the result leaves City still searching for a league win over Arsenal in their last four attempts.
