Manchester City 2 Arsenal 1: City player ratings as the heat is turned up in the title race

After Manchester City’s fast start, Arsenal enjoyed a spell of pinning City deep in their own half from the 5th until the 13th minute. Mikel Arteta had set his side up to press Manchester City high from goal kicks, and they seemed determined not to allow Pep Guardiola’s side to play through Rodri or Bernardo Silva when playing out from the back. That particular battle did feel like it could be pivotal in today’s result based on the game’s early moments.

Some Rayan Cherki magic gives Manchester City the lead!!!!

Manchester City would take the lead in the 16th minute. City pinned Arsenal deep in their own half, and a touch from Matheus Nunes after a contested aerial ball found Cherki on the edge of the Arsenal area. Rayan Cherki drove into the area and left three Arsenal defenders in his wake with some sublime footwork and skill before beating David Raya with a composed right-footed finish to give City the lead.

Arsenal equalize after an error from Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Manchester City’s lead would only last 107 seconds. City threw the ball in from the right-back position back to Gianluigi Donnarumma. Donnarumma took a poor first touch and dwelled on the ball for far too long, and Kai Havertz seized on the moment to put pressure on the Italian goalkeeper. Donnarumma played the ball into Havertz, and the ball ricocheted into the net to make it 1-all. Credit has to go to Havertz for pressuring Donnarumma, but Donnarumma has to be better in such situations, especially considering David Raya almost made a similar error earlier in the match.

Following the flurry of goals, the game settled down as it passed the half-hour mark. Manchester City began to dominate possession, and Arsenal were happy to defend resolutely and pick their moments to attack. What became prominent after Gianluigi Donnarumma’s error, which led to Kai Havertz’s goal, was that Arsenal began to pick their moments as to when to press the Italian international.

Marc Guehi would head a good chance straight at David Raya in the 33rd minute. Manchester City had a corner that Erling Haaland flicked on at the near post that the Arsenal defence cleared. City recycled the ball and Abdukodir Khusanov played in a teasing cross from the right. Guehi met the ball unmarked in a great position but his header was easily claimed by Arsenal keeper David Raya.

The game had settled down approaching halftime.

As the game approached halftime, both teams had moments to take the lead. Jeremy Doku gave away possession in the 39th minute on the halfway line, which allowed Arsenal to break. Noni Madueke played a great ball into the City area, which Kai Havertz seemed destined to get on the end of. However, the City defence cleared the ball before Havertz could get to Madueke’s cross on the edge of the six-yard box.

Manchester City had two corners that posed a risk to the Arsenal defense that were ultimately cleared in the 43rd minute. Following that, the halftime whistle blew. The match was delicately poised at 1-1 as both teams had their moments, and there was all to play for, to borrow a tired cliché, in the second half.

Second half.

Manchester City almost took the lead three minutes after halftime. City had a corner that Bernardo Silva played high into the Arsenal area. Initially, the ball was half cleared by Arsenal’s defence. The ball fell to Abdukodir Khusanov in a great position on the edge of the six-yard box and Khusanov saw a shot blocked by the Arsenal defence. The ball fell to Erling Haaland who fired in a shot on goal that hit the near post and went wide from a great position on the left-hand side of the Arsenal area.

As the game approached the hour mark, the pattern of the second half appeared set. Manchester City were pressing forward in possession, and Arsenal were defending resolutely. However, as the game clicked into the 60th minute, Marc Guehi was dispossessed in midfield. Arsenal surged forward on the break, and Martin Ødegaard played in Kai Havertz. The German international fired a shot on goal, which Donnarumma saved superbly. A minute later, Eberechi Eze hit the post with a stinging left-footed low drive from outside the box, with Donnarumma beaten. Just as it seemed that City had seized the initiative in the match, Arsenal responded.

Erling Haaland fires City into the lead once again!!!

Manchester City would retake the lead in the 65th minute. Gianluigi Donnarumma unleashed Nico O’Reilly with a quick throw-in, and the England international drove deep into Arsenal’s half. O’Reilly played the ball to Jeremy Doku on the left wing, which allowed the Belgian winger to do his work. Doku played a great ball into the Arsenal area, which seemed set to find Rodri. However, the ball rolled to the back post, and Erling Haaland beat David Raya with a cool finish, to give City a 2-1 lead.

As the game ticked into the 70th minute, Pep Guardiola’s side had the lead and now it was on Arsenal to push to find an equalizer. Mikel Arteta’s side almost did in the 73rd minute. A dangerous free kick was flight into the back post by Declan Rice, after a Bernardo Silva foul, and Arsenal centre-back Gabriel got a powerful header away. Gabriel’s header hit the near post and somehow stayed out after a goal mouth scramble.

The stakes couldn’t be higher as the game entered the final ten minutes.

As the game entered the final ten minutes, the desperation of both teams was clear to see. The two teams knew the stakes and both were giving everything on the pitch. A Bernardo Silva challenge in the 77th minute on Kai Havertz just as the Arsenal striker seemed to be clear in on goal after a City corner was cleared typified Bernardo’s fight, and the spirit that both teams were showing.

In the 84th minute, a flash point that had threatened to boil over between Erling Haaland and Gabriel all game finally boiled over. Gabriel fouled Erling Haaland on the halfway line, and Haaland finally had enough of Gabriel’s close attention. The two players butted heads after Gabriel’s foul, and the Brazilian defender did throw his head at Haaland. Both players received yellow cards and perhaps Gabriel was fortunate to stay on the pitch.

Following that flash point, the game entered seven minutes of stoppage time. Manchester City had a lead to hold onto and Arsenal had to somehow conjure an equalizer. Those were the stakes as stoppage time got underway.

Arsenal should have equalized in the 95th minute. Mikel Arteta’s side had a spell of possession in stoppage time and the ball was worked to Leandro Trossard on the right. Trossard played in a great cross that picked out Kai Havertz. Havertz headed over the bar from six yards out and perhaps Arsenal’s golden opportunity to level the scores had gone.

Kai Havertz’s chance would be the final significant moment of the match. At the final whistle, Manchester City had picked up a huge 2-1 win and moved within three points of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand. Today’s result felt massive, and the reactions of both teams’ players at full time did seem telling. If Arteta was on fire earlier this week, the heat of the Premier League title race being turned up by Pep Guardiola’s side couldn’t be ignored by the Arsenal manager.

City player ratings.

**Gianluigi Donnarumma-5/10:**Yes, Donnarumma made a huge error to gift Arsenal an equalizer. However, he made the save he needed to make and it was his quick long throw that set up the move for Erling Haaland’s winning goal. The best and worst of Donnarumma was on display today.

**Matheus Nunes-7.5/10:**A great display at right-back from Nunes. He defended superbly well and he made several crucial interventions late on.

**Abdukodir Khusanov-7.5/10:**Another solid defensive performance from Khusanov and he was great in possession.

**Marc Guehi-7.5/10:**Guehi played well throughout today’s match on both sides of the ball. However, he almost gifted Arsenal a goal on the hour-mark which drops his mark.

**Nico O’Reilly-9/10:**Alongside Bernardo Silva, Nico O’Reilly was Manchester City’s man-of-the-match. That was arguably O’Reilly’s best performance in all facets of the game on a huge stage.

**Rodri-8.5/10:**Like many players in the first half, Rodri seemed rushed by the occasion. However, Rodri’s second half display was absolutely brilliant and set the tone for his team.

Bernardo Silva-9.5/10: When the catalogue of Bernardo Silva’s best performances for Manchester City is written, today’s display will be right up there. He did absolutely everything for his team in a proper captain’s performance.

**Rayan Cherki-8.5/10:**In a game where both teams seemed to panic, Rayan Cherki was one of the calmest players on the pitch. His goal was brilliant and the French international was superb when he was on the ball.

**Antoine Semenyo-5.5/10:**Not his best performance as his touch was heavy and he looked to be trying too hard.

Jeremy Doku-7.5/10: Doku was a constant threat to the Arsenal defence and it was his cross that set up Erling Haaland’s goal.

Erling Haaland-8.5/10: I loved Haaland’s overall performance today. He scored the winner, but he also put himself about physically throughout today’s match. Come the games closing stages he was clearly in Gabriel’s head. A proper leaders display from Haaland.

Substitutes.

**Phil Foden-N/A:**Not on long enough to mark.

**Savinho-N/A:**Not on long enough to mark.

Nico-N/A: Not on long enough to mark.

Nathan Ake-N/A: Not on long enough to mark.