Martinelli rescues Arsenal with dramatic equalizer against Manchester City. Gabriel Martinelli provided an exciting ending for Arsenal. With a stoppage-time equaliser, he secured a 1-1 draw with Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium. In a battle between a couple of Premier League title hopefuls, the Gunners were not about to give up. This happened after City took the lead early on. Martinelli tapped home a ball in the 93rd minute to make sure Arsenal had a point to take home. Moreover, a reason to feel good about their campaign.
Manchester City Take the Early Control
Pep Guardiola’s side would have been delighted with the start to the game. City pressed high and sought to control the ball in the first half. The attempts by the Gunners to put together attacking moves were cut short by City during a period of pressure. City got their reward for their first-half dominance after Erling Haaland scored the first goal of the afternoon. Moreover, this put Manchester City ahead and forcing the home fans to abandon any semblance of enthusiasm. Arsenal were clearly still getting familiar with Manchester City’s defensive structure at that point. Their attacking trio were hardly able to get away from Manchester City’s trio of midfielders!
Arsenal Fight Back in the Second Half
Mikel Arteta must have altered something after half time. The Gunners, however, came out with a newfound intensity in their ability to counter City as the second half got underway. The offer of Declan Rice and Jorginho meant there was control in the midfield. Their subsequent substitutes in attack clearly added a level of urgency to Arsenal’s play. The Gunners were able to pin City back into their penalty area while they were attacking. However, the Gunners tested Ederson by taking shots from some distance, winning some corners as the game progressed and the 90+ minutes counted down.
Martinelli’s Moment of Brilliance
In the dying seconds of the game, Martinelli seized upon a wayward ball at the edge of the area, curling a perfect shot past Ederson to set off hilarious celebrations among the Arsenal fans. Who would have thought that not only did Martinelli rescues a point for the team, but would only add to his ever-growing reputation as a big-time player in a big-time game?
What This Result Means for Arsenal
This tie keeps Arsenal very much in the round at the top of the Premier League table and demonstrates, once again, that they are a match for one of the hardest opponents in Europe. As pleased as Mikel Arteta will be about the response, the displays particularly in the early stages of the bigger games are areas to improve on.
