Arsenal almost managed to get the better of Manchester City last weekend as they held on until the 97th minute when John Stones scored an equaliser to make it 2-2.
The Gunners went down to 10 men whilst they were 2-1 up after Leandro Trossard got sent off at the end of the first half. They defended excellently until Stones went and scored the late equaliser.
After the game, striker Erling Haaland had stern words with the Arsenal players. He was also seen throwing the ball at Gunners’ defender Gabriel.
Pundit Chris Wheatley said that Arsenal managed to rattle their opponents. On the Chris Wheatley show, he said: “The biggest indication that the power is starting to turn a little bit is the comments from the City players after the game, they were really rattled.
“I’ve never seen him [Erling Haaland] like that, the tapping of Gabriel’s head, swearing at a 17-year-old player who’s making his debut for Arsenal, he really seemed rattled.
“They’ve got under the skin of City and not many teams are able to do that. I think Arsenal now are looking like they can win the Premier League title.”
Arsenal and Manchester City’s rivalry
City’s biggest challengers for the league title had been Liverpool until Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal began to get close to them two seasons ago.
In the 2022/23 season, the Gunners finished just five points behind City who did the double over Arsenal helping them to the league title.
Last year the Gunners were even closer, just two points behind City and unbeaten against their title rivals; a 1-0 win and a 0-0 draw indicated a possible shift in the power in the Premier League.
The Gunners were just one minute away from winning at the Etihad Stadium, something Mikel Arteta has never done, it shows that this could finally be the season they topple City.
Should Erling Haaland get punished?
Erling Haaland was seen to be trying to provoke Arsenal players and Mikel Arteta after the game, telling them to “stay humble”. However, his most controversial act came after John Stones’ equaliser.
He threw the ball at the back of Gabriel’s head in a deliberate act towards the Arsenal defender, however, there hasn’t been any punishment from the FA, he was not booked at the time and hasn’t been reviewed.
The visible frustration is something to watch. As Chris Wheatley said, the Gunners got under the skin of Manchester City and will feel all the more confident about it.
