Man City Vs. Arsenal

In recent years, meetings between these sides have been lacklustre, but this clash was different. Arsenal set up to counter while City dominated possession. It was a battle between an immovable object and an unstoppable force.

City struck early, with Haaland exploiting space between Arsenal's centre-backs to score within 10 minutes, seemingly ruining Arsenal's defensive game plan. But the momentum shifted when Rodri limped off. Shortly after, Calafiori, on his full debut, curled a shot from outside the box to equalise against the champions—game on.

Just before halftime, a dangerous Arsenal corner led to Gabriel losing his marker and tapping in from Saka's cross, giving the visitors a surprising lead. However, drama unfolded as Trossard received a red card for kicking the ball away after a foul, leaving Arsenal down to 10 men for the second half.

City dominated after the break, with Arsenal defending deep in a back five. Despite City's growing shot count, most were from a distance and rarely troubled Raya. Arsenal seemed to believe they could hold on. That was until Arsenal fell asleep as the short corner came in, which led to Stone's rebound shot securing the equaliser in the 98th minute, breaking Arsenal's hearts.

City remains top of the table & unbeaten at home against Arsenal for nine years. Their ability to find a goal whenever needed shows their champion mentality, even without Rodri and De Bruyne. Although they managed a draw, they would have been hoping for more against 10 men. They shut Arsenal down, conceding few chances but failing to create any clear-cut ones themselves. Without their key midfielders they'll need to refine their approach against low blocks, a challenge they'll likely face throughout the season.

For Arsenal, it's bittersweet. Another avoidable red card altered the game, and while their defensive effort was immense, Haaland undone them early on and they fell asleep at the last moment. Offensively, they struggled, with few chances aside from their two goals.

An immovable object vs an unstoppable force poetically ended in a draw.