Neither Manchester City or Arsenal could land a telling blow in the Premier League title race on Sunday after a tense and cautious stalemate at the Etihad.
In a match where so much was expected of the attacking players on both sides, it was the two defences that were on top throughout.
Goalmouth action was at a premium. Nathan Ake mistimed a header from close range in the first half for City, while Gabriel Jesus just failed to connect with a low Bukayo Saka cross just after half-time.
A match marked by a lack of clear cut chances was summed up when a flicked on header went under the foot of Erling Haaland at the back post late in the second half.
The result means that Liverpool stay on top of the Premier League table. Arsenal trail by two points, with City a point behind them.
TALKING POINT
Did both teams miss a big opportunity here? Today’s much anticipated blockbuster, while full of technically adroit passing and positional awareness, will not do much for the cheerleaders who proclaim the Premier League to be the most exciting in the world.
With the stakes so high it was perhaps to be accepted. Daring to win this would have meant daring to lose it as well, and defeat would have been a perhaps telling blow for both. Had City lost they’d have been four points off the summit, had Arsenal slipped to defeat it would have been another fluffed audition at the Etihad.
Nothing was going to decided today in terms of the title, and the draw keeps the three contenders bunched within three points of each other. One weekend of unpredictable Premier League results could chuck all of that up in the air. If this race is to be decided by the finest of margins however, might one or both of these teams come to regret not really going for it today?
PLAYER OF THE MATCH – Gabriel (Arsenal)
It was a day for defenders, and none were more imperious this afternoon than Gabriel. He was constantly alive to sources of danger when City upped the speed of attacks inside the Arsenal area, and rendered Erling Haaland a virtual bystander throughout the afternoon.
PLAYER RATINGS
Manchester City: Ortega 6; Akanji 7, Dias 7, Ake 6, Gvardiol 6; Rodri 6, Kovacic 5, De Bruyne 7; Bernardo Silva 6, Haaland 5, Foden 5
SUBS: Grealish 6, Doku 7, Lewis 6
Arsenal: Raya 6; White 6, Saliba 7, Gabriel 8, Kiwior 5; Rice 6, Jorginho 5, Odegaard 7; Saka 6, Jesus 5, Havertz 6
SUBS: Tomiyasu 5, Partey 6, Trossard 6, Martinelli 6
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
16′ CHANCE! De Bruyne bullets the corner in to the near post. It clears everyone and hits Ake in the shoulder, before dropping compliantly into the hands of Raya. Any kind of glance from Ake’s head there was a goal.
52′ CHANCE! Saka gets into the area on the right after a smart pass from Odegaard. He squares it across the six yard box and Jesus, lunging in at the back post, can’t connect. That’s agonsingly close for Arsenal.
84′ CHANCE! The corner is whipped in, and a flash header from (I think) Rodri flies through the area and under Haaland’s foot at the back post!
86′ SAVE BY ORTEGA! Odegaard released Trossard down the left of the pitch. Trossard could square it but opts to shoot from a narrow angle, and Ortega palms it away.
KEY STAT
- The draw brings to an end Arsenal’s run of eight Premier League victories in a row, but extends City’s uneaten run in the competition to 14 games.
