By Rajdeep Saha | Sep 22, 2025, 12:37 am
**Arsenal and Manchester City Played Out a Thrilling 1-1 Draw at the Emirates**
On Matchday 5 of the Premier League 2025-26 season, Arsenal and Manchester City played out an exhilarating 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench to score a stunning equalizer in the dying minutes of the game, denying City a crucial victory. Earlier, the in-form Erling Haaland had given Man City a 1-0 lead in the opening stages. Both sides will be pleased to walk away with a point. Here, we decode the key stats and moments from the match.
### Match Highlights
**Haaland Fires City Ahead in the 9th Minute**
The match started with a bang as Erling Haaland scored a brilliant breakaway goal in the ninth minute. He expertly started and finished a devastating counter-attack after linking up with Tijjani Reijnders, marking his third goal in as many games against Arsenal. This strike was also Haaland’s 19th in his last 15 appearances across all competitions, giving City an early lead.
**Game Turnaround: Arsenal Grow Into the Game After a Quiet First Half**
Despite Manchester City’s low possession rate of just 32.8% — a record under Pep Guardiola — Arsenal struggled to create clear chances in the first half. Their only real opportunity was when Noni Madueke forced a near-post save from Gianluigi Donnarumma. However, the scenario changed after the halftime introductions of Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka. Eze came close to levelling soon after coming on, but Donnarumma produced a sharp save to keep City ahead.
**Tactical Changes: Martinelli’s Late Strike Denies City a Crucial Win**
In an unusual tactical switch, Guardiola reverted to a back five after substituting Nathan Ake on for Phil Foden. The change seemed to stabilize City until Martinelli came off the bench and scored a superb finish over Donnarumma in the final moments of the match, latching onto a precise pass from Eze. His late strike echoed his winning goal as a substitute against City back in October 2023.
### Player Reaction
**Rice Lauds Martinelli for Match-Saving Goal**
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice praised Martinelli’s composure and desire to deliver in big moments. Speaking to Sky Sports, Rice said, “The run and finish — it’s unbelievable at that stage of the game. To have that composure, he really deserves it.” He added, “So even though we didn’t win, I thought we finally deserved it because we dominated today and played really, really well.”
### A Look at the Points Table
After five matches, Arsenal sit 2nd with 10 points, five points behind leaders Liverpool. They are currently ahead of Tottenham Hotspur on goal difference. Guardiola’s Manchester City are down in 9th place with 7 points, having recorded 2 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses.
### Haaland’s Impressive Numbers
Making his 102nd Premier League appearance, Haaland has impressively reached 91 goals, along with 16 assists. This season alone, he has scored six goals in five Premier League appearances. Overall, Haaland has amassed 131 goals in 152 appearances for Manchester City across all competitions, netting seven goals in six matches this season.
### Martinelli Milestone
Gabriel Martinelli scored his 41st Premier League goal in his 165th appearance for Arsenal, along with 20 assists. Across all competitions, Martinelli has now reached 53 goals in 230 games for the Gunners.
### Match Stats: Arsenal Dominate the Numbers
Arsenal made 12 attempts with three shots on target, while Manchester City managed 3 shots on target from five attempts. The Gunners also had 39 touches inside the opposition box compared to City’s 8. Arsenal controlled 67% of the ball possession and completed 515 passes. Mikel Arteta’s men earned 11 corners compared to just 1 for Man City.
### Opta Stats and Key Records
– Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta became the first manager to avoid defeat in five successive league games against Pep Guardiola (W2 D3).
– Manchester City’s tally of 7 points after five games is their worst since the 2006-07 season, when they had only 4 points.
– Man City are now winless in each of their last three Premier League visits to the Emirates Stadium.
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This electrifying encounter reflects the competitive spirit of the Premier League as Arsenal edge closer to Liverpool, while Man City look to regroup and find form in the coming fixtures.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/sports/man-city-held-by-arsenal-in-premier-league/story
