Ranking the greatest moments from the instant classic Premier League duel between Arsenal and Manchester City

Sometimes top-flight clashes in the Premier League fall short of their purpose, as teams play conservatively and do not play to win, but to not lose. When Arsenal and Manchester City met on Sunday, it was not one of those occasions where the two title rivals play to a 2-2 draw that offered a bit of everything. From golazos to the dark arts A mixture of red cards and passionate performances makes it clear that they are taking this seriously, knowing that every point they lose could cost them the Premier League title.

Here are the key moments of the game:

5. Bukayo Saka meets Thierry Henry

In Premier League history, only two players have provided an assist in their team’s first five games of the season – Thierry Henry in the 2005/05 season and now Bukayo Saka. The English winger has hit a new gear at Arsenal and although he has scored fewer goals so far at the start of the new season, he is making up for it by creating plenty of chances for his teammates, which has resulted in him already providing five assists.

Saka set up a Gabriel header that gave the Gunners hope just before half-time. That hope was somewhat dashed when Leandro Trossard was sent off just before half-time, but that doesn’t take away from the moment. Saka is not only one of the best young players in the world, but is establishing himself as one of the best players in the world right now, and the fact that he made his name playing alongside Henry only adds to that.

4. Angry Pep Guardiola appears

Following Arsenal’s equaliser, the Manchester City manager could be seen angrily kicking his own chair before shouting at the team. After the match, Guardiola addressed the incident. The sequence of play began after the resumption of play when right-back Kyle Walker was found out of position after speaking to the referee, which Arsenal took advantage of to score a goal.

“I was [angry] with Kyle. But Kyle was right. The referee asked him to come and talk to him with the others. When that happens, some players must be questionable and they have to adjust the back four, but he didn’t have time,” Guardiola told Sky Sports. “When the referee said ‘come and talk to me’, we made sure to put him back in position because next time we won’t talk to them. He explained what I just explained. It’s not a problem with Kyle.”

Guardiola was not happy with the result, but since the restart of play is at the discretion of the referee, Arsenal were able to use this to their advantage.

3. Rodri’s departure

In matters that can influence the title fight, The fact that Rodri could be out at some point will be a concern for Manchester City. Rodri was an indispensable player in midfield, not only providing defensive support but also being able to contribute to the attack with late runs into the box. The fact that he could be out for several months with a knee injury could be a huge blow.

City have been trying to figure out who his replacement is for years and with Kalvin Phillips now on loan at Ipswich Town, the next ‘defensive midfielder’ could be centre-back John Stones. Aside from Erling Haaland, Rodri is the other player in the squad who doesn’t have a clear replacement and depending on how serious his knee injury is after further assessment, the Spanish midfielder could be out for the rest of the season.

If that’s the case, City may need to be active in the transfer market in January, but managing the club between now and then will also be crucial. That’s easier after the draw with Arsenal, but considering the league and cup challenges, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be a walk in the park.

2. Riccardo Calafiori’s first Arsenal goal

A first goal for a club is always remembered, but when it’s an absolute golazo against a title rival to equalise, it’s a goal that means something even more. After a good run from Gabriel Martinelli, Calafiori got to the ball and shot with a left foot that kept rising until Ederson couldn’t get the ball into the top 90-degree line. It was a very special moment and also marked the Italian’s first appearance for Arsenal as a left back.

With that position in flux for the Gunners, he could play a key role in expanding the attack. There will be some concerns as Calafiori was substituted in the 74th minute due to injury, but it doesn’t seem to be anything too serious.

1. John Stones’ equaliser… and Erling Haaland’s antics

When evaluating moments of a match, it is impossible not to take into account their importance and John Stones’ goal was everything. Through the chaos in the box, the ball fell to the Englishman and he did not miss. The match might not have even lasted more than 97 minutes for the goal to be scored if there had not been time-wasting in the second half that dragged the game out. In the moments following the goal, Haaland also threw the ball at the back of Gabriel’s head, another moment that shows the underlying moments of this rivalry.

The duo clashed constantly in the box and that was a moment where Haaland let out some of his frustration. The VAR reviewed the situation and concluded that no further action was required. Only time will tell what will happen the next time they meet.