By Rajdeep Saha | Sep 22, 2025 | 12:37 am
**Arsenal and Manchester City Play Out Thrilling 1-1 Draw at Emirates Stadium**
Arsenal and Manchester City played out a thrilling 1-1 draw on Matchday 5 of the Premier League 2025-26 season at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench to score a stunning equalizer in the dying minutes of the game, denying City a crucial victory. Earlier, the in-form Erling Haaland handed Manchester City a 1-0 lead in the opening stages. Both sides will be pleased to walk away with a point each.
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### Match Highlights
**Haaland Fires City Ahead in the 9th Minute**
The match started with a bang as Erling Haaland scored a brilliant breakaway goal in the ninth minute. He initiated and finished a devastating counter-attack after combining with Tijjani Reijnders, marking his third goal in as many games against Arsenal. This strike was also Haaland’s 19th goal in his last 15 appearances across all competitions, giving City an early lead.
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**Game Turnaround: Arsenal Grow Into the Game After a Quiet First Half**
Despite Manchester City’s low possession rate of just 32.8%—a record under Pep Guardiola—Arsenal struggled to create many chances in the first half. Their only real opportunity came when Noni Madueke forced a near-post save from City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The second half saw a shift in momentum after Arsenal made halftime substitutions, bringing on Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka. Eze came close to leveling the score shortly after coming on but was denied by a sharp save from Donnarumma.
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### Tactical Changes: Martinelli’s Late Strike Denies City a Crucial Win
In an unusual tactical switch, Guardiola moved to a back five after substituting Phil Foden for Nathan Ake. The change seemed to stabilize City’s defense until Martinelli came off the bench and scored a superb finish over Donnarumma following a perfectly timed pass from Eze in the dying moments of the match.
Notably, Martinelli’s strike was reminiscent of his winner as a substitute against City in October 2023.
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### Player Reaction: Rice Lauds Martinelli for Match-Saving Goal
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice praised Martinelli’s composure and big-game temperament. Speaking to Sky Sports, Rice said, “The run and finish—it’s unbelievable at that stage of the game. To have that composure, he really deserves it.”
He added, “So even though we didn’t win, I thought we finally deserved it because we dominated today and played really, really well.”
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### A Look at the Points Table
After five matches, Arsenal sit 2nd with 10 points, five points behind leaders Liverpool. They are ahead of Tottenham Hotspur on goal difference.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, by contrast, find themselves in 9th place with 7 points (W2 D1 L2), their worst start after five games in the Premier League since the 2006-07 season.
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### Haaland’s Goal Tally Soars
Making his 102nd Premier League appearance, Haaland has raced to an incredible 91 goals, along with 16 assists. This season alone, he has scored six goals from five Premier League appearances.
Overall, Haaland has amassed 131 goals in 152 appearances for Manchester City across all competitions, netting seven goals in six matches this season.
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### Martinelli’s Milestone
Martinelli scored his 41st Premier League goal in his 165th appearance for Arsenal, bringing his total to 53 goals in 230 games across all competitions. Additionally, he has contributed 20 assists in the Premier League.
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### Match Stats: Arsenal Dominate Key Metrics
– Arsenal made 12 attempts with three on target.
– Manchester City had 3 shots on target from 5 attempts.
– The Gunners recorded 39 touches inside the opposition box compared to just 8 by City.
– Arsenal dominated possession with 67% and completed 515 passes.
– Arsenal earned 11 corners compared to City’s solitary corner.
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### Opta Stats & Key Records
– Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta became the first manager to avoid defeat in five successive league games against Pep Guardiola (W2, D3).
– Manchester City’s seven points after five Premier League games is their worst tally since the 2006-07 season.
– Man City have now gone winless in their last three Premier League visits to the Emirates Stadium.
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The draw keeps the Premier League title race competitive, with both teams showing moments of brilliance and resilience. Fans can look forward to more pulsating encounters as the season progresses.
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