Stones rescues Manchester Metropolis with late equaliser in opposition to 10-man Arsenal

It was tense, it was bodily, it was loaded with drama and storylines and that was earlier than the momentum on this Premier League title-shaper had swung once more – away from Arsenal simply earlier than half-time. Mikel Arteta’s crew had recovered from an preliminary storm that featured Erling Haaland placing Manchester Metropolis in entrance together with his one centesimal aim for them – in solely his a hundred and fifth look.

Riccardo Calafiori’s long-range equaliser on his full Arsenal debut was a factor of magnificence, Metropolis raging over the ethics of a shortly taken free-kick by Thomas Partey within the buildup and the guests felt the surge of risk when Gabriel Magalhães headed them in entrance, from a set-piece, in fact. No crew does them fairly like Arsenal today.

Now the traces of the competition had been redrawn as soon as extra. We had been into the seventh minute of first-half stoppage-time and Leandro Trossard, already on a reserving, had fouled Bernardo Silva. However what was this? Trossard was proven a second yellow card for, it turned out, blasting the ball away.

It was a letter of the regulation resolution, one to recall Declan Rice’s offence for his second reserving in Arsenal’s 1-1 house draw in opposition to Brighton on the finish of August, albeit Trossard actually cleared his traces this time. Arsenal had been bitten however they weren’t shy – or any wiser.

So we entered a ridiculously excessive stakes sport of Metropolis’s assault v Arsenal’s defence. At some stage in the second half, Arsenal stored their 10 males behind the ball. It was troublesome to recollect them crossing the midway line. However it was solely about them withstanding the strain. If that took at nighttime arts – time-wasting, gamers going to floor with cramp – then so be it.

Might the meanest defence in England protect the slender benefit? Till the very finish, the reply appeared like being sure. For all of Metropolis’s territorial dominance, they solely actually created three huge moments and, on every event, David Raya saved. He stored out a Haaland header and two rockets from Josko Gvardiol.

Then got here the sting. The extra seven minutes had been up when Metropolis labored a brief nook; one substitute, Jack Grealish, teeing up one other, Mateo Kovacic, whose shot was blocked. Enter yet one more Metropolis substitute, John Stones, to drive the rebound house, save Metropolis and form a post-match inquest that was all the time prone to be lengthy and loud.

The tone of aggression had been set inside seconds, Kai Havertz barging into Rodri moments after the opening kick-off; the Metropolis midfielder wanted remedy. His crew responded as if affronted. Ilkay Gündogan might need scored after taking a go from Silva solely to volley wildly; then Metropolis did take management. The opening aim felt huge when it went in and it was a shock that it had come so early. The identification of the scorer was not.

The transfer was sparked when Savinho took a ball from Kyle Walker and sliced inside and away from Calafiori. The winger noticed the area open up between Gabriel and William Saliba – a uncommon spot – and the burden of the discharge for Haaland was excellent. As soon as Haaland had obtained his physique in entrance of Gabriel, it was a executed deal. He didn’t break stride, ending first time with the skin of his left boot.

Metropolis had been rampant, Gündogan bending a free-kick on 14 minutes outdoors Raya’s submit and the Arsenal equaliser was a bolt from the blue. Metropolis had misplaced Rodri; he was checked once more, this time by Partey on a nook and he appeared to jar his knee.

The passions had been swirling when Arsenal gained a free-kick in the course of the sector and the referee, Michael Oliver, had referred to as over the captains, Kyle Walker and Bukayo Saka, to enchantment for calm. That actually didn’t occur.

Metropolis had been plainly not prepared for Partey to brush a fast free-kick up the within left channel for Gabriel Martinelli; Walker was out of place. However Oliver let it go and the repercussions could be seismic. Martinelli went again to Calafiori and what a second it was for the Italian, his curled end from distance selecting out the far high nook. Guardiola raged on the touchline. So did his gamers.

The tide turned sharply, Arsenal feeling their confidence flood again. Gabriel headed off course when unmarked on a nook and, after Trossard had lifted excessive following a Martinelli cutback, Gabriel did discover the online on one other nook. He ran off Walker and simply appeared to need it greater than any of Metropolis’s defenders.

Remarkably, there was extra earlier than the interval with the Trossard dismissal. At first, it felt as if he had been proven a second yellow card for a barge into the again of Silva, which might have been harsh. His actual crime was the hammering of the ball away as Arsenal ready to defend the free-kick. Name it a rush of blood. Trossard, whose first warning had been for pulling again Savinho, didn’t wish to depart the sector. Arsenal had been surprised, partly as a result of Metropolis’s Jérémy Doku had escaped a reserving earlier for kicking the ball away.

Areta’s crew had been accused of parking the bus in final season’s 0-0 right here. Now they actually did. Because the second half kicked off, with Ben White on for Saka, the formation was 5-4-0; White because the right-sided centre-half, Jurrien Timber outdoors him. Metropolis tried to discover a approach via and, for lengthy spells, it appeared as if that they had run out of concepts. Arsenal appeared safe. Then they had been breached.