It was certainly a very strange start to the game as just seconds after kick off we had a whistle from the ref and a VAR check to decide whether to send off Kai Havertz!
If it was a tactic to unsettle Arsenal it worked, as just 2 minutes after the restart Haaland was unmarked and left through for an easy goal slotted past Raya. The worst possible start for Arsenal.
The first 20 minutes was half spent with Man City players writhing on the floor, and one of them may have actually been injured! In fact Rodri did not look well when he was lead off the pitch.
When the game finally got going again, City’s moaning backfired as they were still arguing with the ref after he gave us a free kick. We took it quivckly and Martinelli broke down the wing. He paased it to a sprinting Calafiori who wallopped it into the corner of the net from long range. What a great debut from the Italian.
Of course City argued with the ref for 5 minutes until VAR confirmed the goal stood and it was all square again.
Arsenal were back in the game and started piling on the pressure. Gabriel headed over the bar from a corner, but he didn’t make a mistake with the next one and suddenly we were in the lead. At the Etihad!
But of course disaster struck when with literally seconds before the whistle for half time, Trossard crazily kicked the ball away right in front of the ref and gave him a second yellow.
Arsenal went into the dressing room with 2-1 lead but faced the next 45 minutes with only ten men against Man City. At the Etihad! Arteta was fuming naturally.
Arteta brought on Ben White for the second half and it looked like we were going for a back 5 to try and hold onto our lead, and we prepared to see Raya’s goal being peppered for the rest of the game. In the pouring rain.
In the first 15 minutes the stats were crazy, with City making over 100 passes to Arsenal’s TWO, but Arsenal kept hanging in there, with Rays extremely busy indeed.
Arsenal continued defending dourly and when we finally got a goal kick, all the players went off to have a long chat with Arteta on the touchline, and Myles-Skelly got booked without ever playing a game!
Crazy game! We had to wait til 20 minutes before the end before we even got the ball into Man City’s half, but it didn’t last long. With 15 minutes to go, Man City seemed to be getting frustrated as they can’t find a way through Arsenal’s ten man defence, and are reduced to trying long shots from distance, with no luck at all.
Arsenal got their second freekick of the half with 8 minutes to go, but only managed to waste anthercouple of minutes. The Arsenal fans are all down that end and went crazy as they haven’t their team in this half.
Down the other end again, and Foden unleashed a shot but Raya was equal to it. Then Gabriel went down in the box and Arsenal are looking exhausted and everyone is lying on the ground asking to be subbed off,but City are getting more and more frustrated. Arsenal were given 7 minutes of added time to pull off the heist of the season.
Arteta put Myles-Skelly on for his debut, and the defence (all 9 of them) held on like warriors, with Raya the star as usual… But of course disaster struck in the 97th minute with Stones poking in the equaliser and Haaland threw his toys out of the pram as usual.
We may not have won, but morally we were far superior, and a point at the Etihad is not bad with ten men!
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Lmao come on city. Shitty team. Celebrating a draw against 10 men when they’re 12.
You can’t win a league that is basically handed to you, like it is to city. Eff off
We already know the league is set up for them to win every season and we battle both City and PGMOL. Liverpool had to do the same thing to win just their one title. We’ve given ourselves a chance today. We now need to go on a run. COYG!
Oh stop it, how old are you? 12 possibly?
You think just because the league takes place in a rich first world country that is overall well respected that corruption is not rampant and constant just like with any other institution. Where have you been the past at least 5+ seasons to see City get away with so many calls and their rivals constantly get punished? We can only say the refs are bad at their jobs for so long before it’s obvious it’s on purpose. City would literally have one less league title if refs called that blatant handball on Rodri against Everton. A BLATANT handball. But the rulebook goes completely out the window for them every season. And if you don’t think City will walk away from these 115 without a single scratch you aren’t paying attention. No other club would even have gotten away with it so long, let alone been able to kick it down the can season after season. Corrupt club, corrupt institutions throughout English football. There are entire countries involved in the game now and you don’t think there’s behind door payments happening? Be real
You’re on the wrong blog.
It hurts
It was a second of concentration lapse in the last minute
If we had closed down that quick corner – We would have won
Jesus’ cameo was good
More injuries
Jesus screwed up and cost us 2 points. All he had to do was kick that ball. Instead went looking for a foul and gave Citeh a cornet. Good job team Arsenal. Now I believe we will win the title.
It was from a different corner that City scored their late goal.
They gave their all. Well done boys! You can’t ask anything more from what we can control.
First half added time…..Red card
Second half added time… conceded a goal
Just end the game….it’s past official added time.
On to the next one
At the start of the season they should just play between City and Pool couple of matches & declare the champions! Then season can start for the rest.
Immensely proud of this team, herculean effort in the 2nd half, 10 vs 12. This game further solidifies that I will never respect any of City achievements NEVER.
They are in collusion with some ref and its blatant for the past 7 years. It is similar to lance armstrong for those who follow cycling, systematic cheating which would have never been caught if he didn’t admit it years later.
The English are incapable of admitting this league is just as corrupt as any other. The denial is insane.
In January we have to add a striker and at least two refs😂
100% agree last year this ref didn’t want to send off Covetich for two dangerous tackles, one against Rice and the other against Odegaard because he didn’t want to spoil the game his own words, this season he has no problem sending off Trossard. This is blatant no question
Thats Spurs, City, Villa, Brighton matches already completed, no losses. That is champion form and we are so far away from hitting our stride. We just keep going onto the next one. As long as keep avoid some injuries and stay focused we’ll have a shot.
I never say this but this was some seriously poor refereeing. Trossard was given a second yellow for delaying the start when it seemed like a kick in the flow of the game. The game was killed at that moment. Our boys played brilliantly. Hats off to them.
I never thought I’d say this, but I now genuinely believe the refs are biased against us.
All I have heard is that the ref had no choice but to send Rice off. “It’s the letter of the law” we are constantly being told. Yet ever since then, the ref’s have made a conscious decision to only apply that law to us.
Szoboszlai was on yellow when we booted the ball away at a Forest restart, yet no second yellow? Doku kicked it away today, which the Arsenal players highlighted to the ref, and he decided he didn’t want to apply the law.
Yet when Trossard does it, the eagerness to apply the law, in a much more defining way as it was a sending off, as if his hands are tied.
I really hope Arteta brings up the Doku situation in the press conference, and the ref’s decision to ignore it.
So proud of the boys. Unbelievable effort against a corrupt club and corrupt ref!
Can’t add anything to that as you are so spot on
The rice one was so different – he knew what he was doing and there was no room for benefit of the doubt. The ref could have let it go, but the yellow card was definitely defensible. For this one, trossard was facing away and it was very plausible he didn’t hear a whistle or didn’t have time to react to it and was simply continuing playing. I don’t think the ref allowed for benefit of the doubt, which imo was extremely unfair.
On the doku one, I think he was kicking it back to where it should have been taken, which seems to have been signaled by the ref (I’m not 100% clear on this so please take it as a devil’s advocate argument)- I dont think players should be doing that, I think that should be up to the ref to ensure its taken at the right place, but it would be a different situation that theoretically doesn’t slowing down the play because we’d have to have moved the ball back anyway (if I’ve read it correctly).
On the others, I don’t know.
Changed my view on the doku one having seen it a couple more times – he didn’t kick it back to where it should have been taken, so did delay the restart. It would have been another silly yellow, but it’s far more of a yellow imo than the trossard one – no room for benefit of the doubt as play had fully stopped and by “letter of the law” should have been a yellow.
Here’s the thing. These are silly yellow cards and the referees really need to be much more sensible than dishing out cards for relatively minor infractions.
People trotting out the “letter of the law” arguments really need to think about the harm that some of these types of decisions are doing to the game as a whole.
I agree, which is why I keep saying benefit of the doubt – if someone’s deliberately trying to disrupt the game and slow it down, fair enough to book them (which is why I don’t argue with the decision that went against rice), but if someone kicks it away practically on the whistle, sure by the book its a yellow, but is that really the right decision?
I don’t think you’re pointing at me but to be clear, I only mention letter of the law because of the inconsistent application – fully agree there needs to be some sense applied.
The half should have ended long before the Trossard incident even got a chance to take place. What a corrupt league. Filthy!
All I saw was City, 4th in row champions, celebrating the draw at their home like they won the league, was the highlight of the match for me.
I would like to hear Rodri speak about it.
@Daulat
They were celebrating, because they knew that before halftime they were heading for a loss. Our tails were up and we were ready to do em. That is until the red…🫤
Agree, we could’ve done them with 11 men. They didn’t expect us to come out like that after the Haaland goal. But our players need to be wary of the 12th City man on the field, that also play with other teams against Arsenal.
Of course, our players would never celebrate in such a way😂
Thèse f***ing refs have to be hokd accountable….others than that WE gave our all and it’s a very good point but unfurtunatly with City even if you win they’r will catch over the course of the Season!!!
Hold….catch You
Magnificent performance against 12 men.
Arsenal women game stops on time while we are attacking.
Arsenal men game carries on well past 7 mins
Both games against man city and if there was no truth in referees being a little bit suspicious, wouldn’t they come out and some so? So proud of our boys today but so much wrong with football today, embarrassing for the Premier league but especially for anyone who has ever refereed a game of football
How come all the uniformed no-no’s turn up on match days?
A hard earned point in a great game. No complaints from me, other than for Trossards stupid actions to get himself twice yellow carded.
…uninformed no-no’s
Arsenal draw in the 12 (MNC +PGMOL) vs 10 (Arsenal) is a great one. I repeat, the earlier we learn to substitute our players immediately they have yellow card, the more we avoid losing point through red cards.
Thanks to Calafiori’s courage and unorthodox debut goal.
Agree with you. A player get yellow card, just substitute otherwise it’s red card every game
Was it really like that Jax?
So many – mostly as upset as me – say otherwise. I could only listen to the second half on Arsenal radio. Hard fought- definitely but not unlucky to have a deflected goal against us?
Hi Sue. That’s the way I saw it, but agree that the kick away just might have been a bit reactive rather than deliberate. But nobody has mentioned that Oliver gave us a pre assist for our first goal by allowing the free kick to be taken before Walker got back into position, after calling him over to give him a warning. Not that I’m complaining. Shame you didn’t watch the second half as it was an amazing defensive display by us.
Jax serious I wonder if you actually watched the game, ten yards what you on about its not as if Martinelli had clear sight of goal. Start watching the games and not the filth the pundits dish up afterwards
Walker should have run back, or one of the City players should have filled the gap, no pre assist from an inconsistent ref every week. Trossard was stupid he knew what he was doing literally 20 seconds from half time and he barges Silva like that which in itself could have been a second yellow, he should be apologising to the players, Arteta and the fans, his moronic actions cost us the game when we had a great chance to put a marker at City. Very impressed with our defence and City celebrating like they won the PL, and poor bitter Stones moaning about our spot on tactics in the second half. Haaland getting away with the ball thrown at Gabriel’s head, if that is spotted by the ref, he would have in my opinion sent him off for violent conduct, Wrighty is right about him, a coward
So annoying to have so many blips
I wrote a reply Jax and it’s gone AWOL. Grr
Well ther it is – turned up immediately I wrote my last post
Very proud of this team fought till the end only just! This boys are fighters. Onto the next one
When Rice was sent off some people were defending the officials.. and started giving us laws of the game … Now tell us what happened today when Trossard was issued a second yellow the VAR narration was even different with the premier league narrative…. Are you still doubtful of the nonsense and stupidity going on in premier league officiating…. As usual the spoil a well entertaining match into a boring one for larger part of the match …. I’m proud of my Team tho nice fight.
Two different incidents – I thought the rice one was fine but this one wasn’t.
Agree – team was great today. We have so much resilience.
How Can you a year ago in the reversed fixture not send off Kovacic to not ruin the game while his tacle deserved a straight red let alone a yellow and ruin today game….these refs needs to be fined….and West ham Yesterday were robbed of a penalty….
Great performance today👏.
It was a “spectacle” but not for the right reasons. The referee lost control in the first minute virtually and it got worse from then on until he went OTT at the end of the half, presumably to try and compensate. Another “bookings-fest”, although not quite Chelsea/Bournemouth.
Anyway, most Gooners would have taken a point as a good result prior to the game – me included – so although we missed out on all three at the worst time of all in the last minute or so, it’s still good. City aren’t five points clear barely out of September and Arsenal produced another stunning defensive performance overall.
Not the very best outcome, but not a disaster by any means either. Let’s move on to the next game.
* nearly out of September
2 soft red cards & 4 possible points lost for Arsenal. Now if we consider the last 2 seasons & how close we were to the City, this has significant impact on title race.
Other impact could be that soon Arsenal players may be lose motivation & some of them who wants to win may start thinking about leaving the club ( can’t blame them)
This is because no other team challenge Man City except Arsenal.
You said my mind Vithal
uh… City lost 2 points also today so your comment doesnt make sense !
I was wondering how Arteta will handle this game with the injury and the display I saw against in Italy on Thursday. He did well. The boys did well. But I’m disappointed that we didn’t get the 3 points as we were so close to that.
When the season ends and posts are made about how we were pants against Everton or Ipswich, I shall be silently remembering how matches can turn in an instant
I could only listen to Arsenal.com but I am immensely proud of our team with numerical odds stacked against us, coming a gnats knacker from winning – on merit
I thought it was hard game for.oliver to ref
for everyone berating the ref and saying there is a conspiracy against afc
1 LT made a lazy challenge first and fore most and 2nd he knows he’s on a yellow. Dont give the ref a decision to make, which he did.
Imo after DC he deserved to go.
The boys the manager the club have gone toe to toe with the best team in the prem with 10 men and gain a point
The positive thing is the team, the manager, the fans are disappointed with dropping 2 points rather then gaining 1 point.
I feel flat but so happy
Well done!
Onwards and upwards
I agree, somewhat but Oliver let City get away with more. Often the case when you are at home but he didn’t have a good game. Not for what he did right but the things he let go for City.
@Alanball08
Real Talk 👍🏾
We’re 2 points less than city but we already played 3 away games which will pave our way to lead shortly.Villa,spurs and city are very difficult turfs to take points.I hope the injured players would recover soon.
Agree, the only minus was the poor home game with Brighton.
A very very good draw. We don’t know what would have happened 11 v 11 but a draw us a very good result. Im a big fan of Trossard but please, you are on a yellow, dont give the ref (oliver) who did let city get away with more, a chances to make a decision. We have been here before. Learn!!!!!
I think Raya was good again today, everyone dug in, lead by a resolute Partey. The only real minus was again, Martinelli and his inability to get a ball down and do something. Haverz played well and made himself a menace.
time for Jesus to have a run out and Martinelli to come off the bench…
Martinelli had a great game.
Jax, he ran around, worked hard but ultimately, he couldn’t keep the ball or do anything at all when he got it. His decision making as usual was poor. For me worse player for Arsenal.
Reggie, other than Trossard, I though all of our players had very good games.
Jax, they all tried but one in particular didn’t do the basics very well. Thats what I saw.
Well Martinelli set up Calafiori for his goal, so he did do something when he got it
Reggie
Like you was a tad disappointed with Martinelli.
Going forward and holding the ball, forcing us further up the pitch with sneaky throw ins and fouls but hats off to him on Going the other way
Dug in as you say amd defended. Done nothing crazy. Stayed on his feet in dangerous areas and put another body in between them and our goals.
We have matured as a team as boys to men.
When you start getting the best team in the prem rattled and needles you know you are gaining on them
John stone mentioning we are good at the dark arts…nice 😀
Not lose at any cost
Rather then lose in glory
How things have changed
2 or 3 seasons back we would have gone down by 4 or 5
Onwards and upwards
Ps
Thought if timber and Calafiori had managed to stay on the pitch we would have seen it through which bodes well for the future
We have a beast of a defence with back ups
A goal keeper growing in stature at each game
It’s a long season but
👍 Martinelli worked hard but just lacked composure.
Agree, why is the letter of the law only applied with Arsenal. Have you seen anyone sent of for delaying a throw for instance? Or was it a one time Arsenal. Did Liverpool lose a man for a more blatant kick away than rice or is it just arsenal?
A great performance by the defensive unit. We have done really well to get the results from 3 away games in 7 days. We have made progress with our ability and our mentality.
97 minutes showed as additional time but the ref didn’t stop the game at that time and the goal was scored on 98 minutes 🤷🏽♀️
Time was added to the 97 for injury to Timber on 90 mins.
This the same ref who refused to send kovacic last year
I remember rightly Howard Wep saying the ref didn’t want to spoil the game by sending him off 😂
So I wonder what’s the different
Gets paid to ref in Emirates too for 10k plus but not bribery, obviously people in the Emirates turn up to see the ref obviously.
I’m not unaware of Emirates but it’s factually correct and double insulting so win win.
What a performance! Pgmol is going to pgmol. Liverpool had a 2bd yellow not given for kicking the ball away last week. And doku moments before Trossard kicked the ball away. Conspiracy is real and we got the result anyway. Big up arteta and the boys! Resilience.
Missed something special. City are definitely beatable.. Anyone who had seen the Italy vs Croatia game at the Europeans would have known that Califiori is going to be a big deal for us.
Man City if you can play fair, just forget it. Thank you.
Balotelli, why always me expect we doing nothing difrrent to deserve it. Sums it up perfectly.
I guess there is something going on against Arsenal. Guglielmo Vicario of Spurs vs. Brentford, handled the ball outside the box “CLEARLY” , was checked and cleared by VAR. I can assure u that would have been a 100% sending off if it were an arsenal player.
I am soooooh assured😂😂😂
Any update on Calafiori and Timber,is it just cramp?
Justice should not only be done but be seen to be done.
Justice was done on all occasions involving arsenal. I’m sure we can agree it was not seen to be done. PGMOL Should explain why the seeing part is missing.
1. That ref is usually one of the better ones, so although he wasn’t perfect I don’t think he was entirely to blame.
2. Getting stupid red cards has been a recurring problem for Arsenal before, and it’s creeping in again. Needs to be addressed.
I’m delighted that Arsenal have a mean edge under Arteta, something that they were desperately lacking in the latter Wenger years when they were far too nice. But getting reds for cheating in-play to gain advantage is one thing, and getting sent off for kicking the ball away / taking off your shirt / not shutting your mouth / etc is another and basically just giving points away for no reason.
Otherwise, an epic performance and well done to the team. Having had by far a tougher start to the season than City it’s looking ok so far, although injuries are becoming an increasing concern.
It is too obvious now that Mike Oliver is bought over by citeh and will do anything for them to win. When I saw his name as the official of this high profile match I knew he will ruined arsenal chances of winning that match.
He is a f..ckin disgress! And arsenal should protest any big match if he is allow to officiate.
Citeh player Ruben dias should have being booked for that challenge on havertz in the second half. If it was an arsenal player,he will waste no time issueing a card.
If we put things in a proper context, we would be very proud of our team. Just on Thursday, our team was in Italy for Champions league. Even before they could rest, they were again on the road to Manchester. When you add on the injuries to our key players such as Odegaard and Merino, and the fact that Saka and Calafiori have also not been fully fit, you can’t fail to admire our team for the valiant display.
It is sad that we didn’t win the game but we should keep our heads high. At this rate, I see us being crowned champions in May 2025.
I’m immensely proud of our team.
With 10 men we almost won it
But happy with a draw considering we had 10 men
And this proves what I said in previous article that it was possible for us to beat City without Odergaard as we nearly did it
COYG
Before the game I would have happily have settled for a draw, but at the final whistle it felt like a defeat. Big up to the team for their display in the second half.
Yet again we saw the inconsistency of referee that is Micheal Oliver. As has been posted further up the thread, he failed to send of Kovacic last season at our place, as he didn’t want to ruin the game. Gives Trossard a second yellow card for kicking the ball away 0.84 seconds after blowing his whistle, yet fails to give Doku a yellow card for doing the same thing. Also last week he reffed the Liverpool Vs Nottingham Forest game and failed to book Szoboszlai for kicking the ball away. All we want is consistency, is it really to much to ask for ?
Funniest thing was Haaland bouncing the ball off Gabriel’s head. Naturally, he got away with it.
Because Haaland getting a yellow in the 97th min helps us how ?
I have listened to all those Man City fans moaning, and calling Arsenal dirty.
They sound very much like a school bully who starts complaining when one of the other boys, who bulked up over the holidays, gives said bully, a smack on the nose!!!