Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench to play hero once again, scoring a brilliant stoppage-time lob to earn Arsenal a dramatic 1-1 draw against Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium.
The visitors looked set to leave North London with all three points after Erling Haaland struck inside the opening 10 minutes. The Norwegian forward latched onto Tijjani Reijnders’ pass before slotting past David Raya to hand City an early lead.
For much of the first half, Arsenal struggled to find their rhythm. City’s defensive organization frustrated Mikel Arteta’s men, while Haaland remained a constant threat, forcing mistakes and carving open opportunities. Reijnders tested Raya from distance, while Arsenal managed just one shot on target before the break through Noni Madueke.
Arteta responded at half-time by introducing Bukayo Saka, returning from injury, and Eberechi Eze. The changes sparked life into the Gunners, with Zubimendi and Eze both coming close to equalizing. Still, City defended resolutely and even had chances to extend their lead, with Haaland denied by Raya after being played through by Jeremy Doku.
As time ticked away, Arsenal threw on Martinelli, who had scored just seconds after coming on against Athletic Bilbao five days earlier. Once again, the Brazilian delivered. In the third minute of added time, Eze launched a long ball over the top, catching City off guard. Martinelli pounced, spotting Gianluigi Donnarumma off his line, and executed a stunning lob to send the Emirates into raptures.
The result means Arsenal remain five points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, while Pep Guardiola’s City sit eight points adrift after a frustrating afternoon in North London.
Martinelli’s late heroics not only salvaged a valuable point but also kept Arsenal’s title hopes alive in what promises to be another thrilling season.
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