John Stones’ dramatic 98th-minute equalizer rescued a 2-2 draw for Manchester City against 10-man Arsenal in a heated Premier League showdown on Sunday between the title contenders.
Arsenal played the entire second half with 10 men after Leandro Trossard was sent off, but they were just seconds away from handing City their first home defeat since November 2022. Despite the draw, City reclaimed the top spot in the league, two points ahead of fourth-placed Arsenal.
Erling Haaland gave Pep Guardiola’s side an early advantage with his 100th goal for City, but Arsenal fought back with a stunning strike from Riccardo Calafiori and a set-piece header by Gabriel Magalhães.
Trossard received his second yellow card just before halftime, leaving Arsenal to mount a fierce defensive effort. They held out until the dying moments when Stones capitalized on a defensive error following a corner to salvage a point for City.
The tension in the match was apparent from the start when Kai Havertz clattered into Rodri, leaving the City midfielder in need of treatment. Guardiola noted that City had the advantage of an extra day’s rest after their midweek Champions League draw with Inter Milan, while Arsenal had traveled to Italy for their goalless stalemate against Atalanta on Thursday.
City’s fresher legs made an immediate impact, with Haaland scoring his 10th goal of the season in just nine minutes after a brilliant through ball from Savinho split the Arsenal defense. Ilkay Gündogan nearly doubled the lead with a free-kick that struck the post.
However, City’s momentum was disrupted when Rodri was forced off with a knee injury. Moments after his replacement, Mateo Kovacic, came on, Arsenal equalized. Calafiori, set up by Gabriel Martinelli, curled a stunning shot past Ederson to score his first goal for the Gunners.
Gabriel Magalhães, who had scored the winner in Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Tottenham the previous weekend, again showcased his aerial prowess. He missed one header from a Bukayo Saka corner but made no mistake with his second attempt, outmuscling Kyle Walker to nod home another Saka delivery, putting Arsenal ahead.
Just before the break, Arsenal’s fortunes shifted dramatically when Trossard was sent off for a second yellow after kicking the ball away following a foul. This left Mikel Arteta’s side down to 10 men, echoing their recent 1-1 draw with Brighton when Declan Rice suffered a similar fate.
In response, Arteta brought on Ben White for Saka, and Arsenal dug deep to repel wave after wave of City attacks. David Raya made crucial saves, including a powerful header from Haaland and two efforts from City defender Josko Gvardiol, as Arsenal restricted their opponents to long-range attempts.
It wasn’t until the 98th minute that Stones finally broke through, sweeping home a loose ball from Jack Grealish’s cross, extending City’s unbeaten home run and keeping them firmly in the title race.