ARSENAL have defeated Manchester City 1-0 after Gabriel Martinelli’s dramatic late winner.
The victory is the Gunners’ first over City in the Premier League in EIGHT YEARS.
Arsenal go level on points with Spurs at the top of the league, while City suffer back-to-back Prem defeats.
- Result: Arsenal 1 Man City 0
- Arsenal XI: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko,Jorginho, Rice, Odegaard, Trossard, Nketiah, Jesus
- Man City XI: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Lewis, Bernardo, Foden, Alvarez, Haaland
- Explainer: What is Game Mode camera on Sky Sports?
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And that’s a wrap
So, Arsenal have FINALLY broken their Man City hoodoo.
It’s taken eight years, but the Gunners have beaten their title rivals in the Premier League.
Super sub Gabriel Martinelli was the match-winner in the 86th minute of a tense and fraught match.
Tempers boiled over at the end when Arsenal set piece coach Nicolas Jover, Erling Haaland and Kyle Walker were involved in a scuffle.
Thanks for tuning in to us. Until next time!
Saliba blow
Arsenal have been hit with a potential injury blow after William Saliba pulled out of the France squad today.
The French national team announced in a tweet that the defender had been forced to withdraw from the squad after suffering an injury to his right toe.
He will be replaced by Nice centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo.
Given the game against City has only just finished, France or Arsenal have not put a date on the Frenchman’s return yet.
The defender will be assessed at Arsenal’s London Colney training centre in due course.
Ramsdale will be ‘dancing’
Theo Walcott has said that Aaron Ramsdale will be “dancing on the bench” after David Raya’s shaky first half against Manchester City.
Speaking at half-time on Raya’s performance, the ex-Arsenal star said: “He’s not conceding which is a bonus.
“He’s been a bit edgy and nervy which could be the occasion, you sense the fans are getting on his back a bit.
“He’s very edgy right now, the stadiums not giving
him confidence.”
Saliba’s game in numbers
100% duels won
97% pass accuracy
0 fouls committed
Wasn’t dribbled past once
Arteta on Raya
David Raya appeared wasteful in possession at the Emirates in the first half and wobbled in goal.
But, he has the backing of his manager.
Mikel Arteta said after the game: “I think he was excellent. He may miss one or two passes. I ask him to have clarity in his vision, to understand, to provoke the adversary.”
“I like players who have a lot of courage, and David certainly has that.”
Haaland blunted by Arsenal defence
For only the second time since moving to Manchester City, Erling Haaland failed to register a shot in a Premier League game that he started.
The Norwegian unsurprisingly returned an xG of 0.00, and had just 23 touches on the pitch, the fewest of anyone to play the entire 90 minutes.
Arteta completes collection with City win
Ahead of this weekend, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had guided his team to wins over every team he had ever faced in the Premier League as a manager – every team, that is, except one.
But now the Spaniard has completed the collection.
After six defeats to Manchester City since taking charge of the Gunners, Arteta has finally masterminded a victory over his old mentor Pep Guardiola.
Credit: @afcstuff Twitter Champions chopped down by challengers
Arsenal have won a Premier League match against the reigning Premier League champions for the first time since defeating Leicester in April 2017.
Back then, the Gunners were also 1-0 victors at home, and also profited from an 86th minute goal when the last touch game off a centre-half; for Nathan Ake today, read Robert Huth then.
Since that match, however, Arsenal had lost 10 matches in a row against the champions – until today.
Martinelli: I’m not the man
After missing the last five games with injury, Gabriel Martinelli made his return as second half substitute with a match-winning impact.
The Brazilian added some much needed impetus to Arsenal’s play, had both of their attempts on target, and scored the game’s only goal with a little help from Nathan Ake’s forehead.
However, Martinelli was quick to downplay his role afterwards as Arsenal ending their run of 12 consecutive defeats to Manchester City, insisting that everyone played their role in the result.
I’m not the man. Everyone played their part in this victory. I scored the goal, but it was due to the whole team, the staff and the fans.
Gabriel Martinelli
Match stats from the Emirates
Toothless Manchester City had just four attempts at goal at the Emirates this afternoon.
It’s the fewest amount of shots that a Pep Guardiola side have managed in a top-flight game since Barcelona’s 0-0 draw at Espanyol back in April 2010.
Full time – Arsenal 1-0 Man City
It’s all over! Arsenal have finally – FINALLY – beaten Manchester City.
After 12 straight defeats to the Premier League champions, Mikel Arteta’s men have at last got the better of their rivals thanks to Gabriel Martinelli’s late, fortuitous goal.
It was hardly a classic, but if these three points prove pivotal come the end of the season then nobody will remember the 90 minutes, only the result.
Arsenal 1-0 Man City
90+2. Two minutes into stoppage time, and City are going nowhere – mainly because Arsenal are refusing to let them.
Down by the corner flag, Gabriel Jesus and Ederson battle over the retrieval of a dead ball, a clash that ends with both players booked.
Arsenal 1-0 Man City
90. Four minutes of stoppage time are signalled by the fourth official, and it brings a further roar from the home fans.
Manchester City are four minutes away from consecutive Premier League defeats for the first time in five years.
Arsenal 1-0 Man City
88. Can Arsenal hold on? Can they stop the rot?
Remember, it’s 12 Premier League defeats in a row against Manchester City.
Arsenal 1-0 Man City
86. It’s the goal that we just did not see coming!
And in the end it arrives in the only way it possibly could – via a cruel, cruel deflection.
The three substitutes combine as Thomas Partey lifts a long ball up to the edge of the penalty area, Takehiro Tomiyasu heads down for Kai Havartz, and then the German goes all English centre-forward.
Holding off three Manchester City defenders, Havertz cooly lays into the path of another substitute in Gabriel Martinelli, and his first time shot crashes into the face of Nathan Ake and wrongfoots Ederson in the visitors’ goal.
It’s 1-0 to the Arsenal!
Breakthrough!
Arsenal 0-0 Man City
84. Are Arsenal in here?!
Odegaard chests the ball down in front of his man in the penalty, but can’t get a shot away.
Instead, he turns and lays back for Gabriel Jesus, who turns and goes down under Ake’s challenge.
The crowd roar for the penalty, more in hope that expectation, and Michael Oliver duly says no.
Arsenal 0-0 Man City
82. With eight minutes remaining, it’s worth pointing out that both sides have had just one shot on target each.
The home side’s came five minutes into the second half, the visitors’ was four minutes into the first.
Arsenal 0-0 Man City
80. A glorious tackle from Declan Rice brings Matheus Nunes’ driving run to the edge of the penalty area to an abrupt end.
That was brilliant from the former West Ham, a challenge that both Bobby Moore and Julian Dicks would have been proud of.
Arsenal 0-0 Man City
78. A pigeon just flew in front of the camera, and it’s genuinely been one of the most exciting moments this afternoon.
Todd Boehly is preparing a £70m bid for the winged wonder in the January transfer window.
Arsenal 0-0 Man City – Arsenal triple substitution
76. Now Mikel Arteta makes a trio of changes of his own.
The Gunners boss throws on Takehiro Tomiyasu, Thomas Partey and Kai Havertz at the expense of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jorginho and Eddie Nketiah.
Arsenal 0-0 Man City
74. With Alvarez off the pitch, substitute Nunes curls in this corner from the left, one that is confidently claimed by Raya in the Arsenal goal.
Arsenal 0-0 Man City
73. A driving run from Doku on the left is matched by the determination of White, who sticks with his man all the way and then diverts his cross away for a corner.
Arsenal 0-0 Man City
71. “The game is stuck in the mud at the moment,” bemoans Gary Neville.
It certainly has the feel of those Liverpool v Manchester United matches that are talked up all week and inevitably end in a dreary nil-nil.
Arsenal 0-0 Man City
69. So what will those changes bring in this final quarter?
The pattern of play seems to be City pushing and probing at Arsenal in their half, but with the hosts ready to pounce on the counter when opportunities present themselves.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
