National media agree on Arsenal Premier League title chance as Man City 'rivalry ignited'
A widespread belief that Arsenal's trip to Manchester City would be just as cagey, just as boring, and just as passive as March's 0-0 bore-fest was proven wrong within around four seconds. From the moment Kai Havertz and Rodri collided, a new and genuine rivalry was formed.
This was no longer master vs apprentice but rather Arsenal actually believing they had the ingrained grit and mentality to go and beat the champions at their own place. Erling Haaland's swift opener threatened to derail those beliefs but Mikel Arteta's men came storming back.
Be it via refereeing fortune or just sheer left-footed quality from Riccardo Calafiori, the size of response, and the manner of it, midway through the first half was telling. As Arsenal grew in confidence it almost seemed to surprise City, who have basically only played an imitation of the Gunners before.
Even when they lost at the Emirates Stadium 12 months ago it was after a suffer-ball approach for 90 minutes by both sides. This time Arsenal meant business and hit back. Had it not been for John Stones' late leveller, really the only big chance City managed against ten men from inside the box over 53 minutes, then the talk would have been of champion mentality.
As it happens, such was the ferocity and together of Arsenal, those words are still being used to describe just how far they have come on, with the general understanding that it is enough to take them close to the top once more. Here, football.london rounds up what the national media had to say on a match dripping in Barclays energy.
The Guardian
David Hynter writes that an opening 45 minutes at the Etihad Stadium was "tense, it was physical, it was loaded with drama and storylines and that was before the momentum in this Premier League title-shaper had swung again – away from Arsenal just before half-time." He adds that after the red card, "we entered a high-stakes game of City’s attack v Arsenal’s defence."
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On the Stones goal, he finished: "Arsenal would be breached at the very last, the emotions spilling over, one final melee between the players forming, although Arteta would take plenty of positives. City’s 100% record in the league has gone. In the heat of the moment, it almost felt like another victory."
The Athletic
Plenty to pick from here in the immediate post-match debrief. James McNicholas, focusing on the newfound needle between the teams, wrote: "Until recently, the rivalry between City and Arsenal has been somewhat tepid.
"Perhaps because of the friendship between managers Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta, his former City assistant, there has always been more mutual respect than enmity. There were plenty of signs in this game that the calm atmosphere may be changing."
He added: "The touchline reactions of Guardiola and Arteta also showed how desperate the two former colleagues are to come out on top. When Calafiori curled home Arsenal’s equaliser, Guardiola stormed back to his dugout and kicked his own chair. Arteta was similarly enraged when Trossard was sent off.
"After a game full of needle, the trend is likely to continue when the sides meet again in February’s reverse fixture. The tussle at the top of the Premier League is hotting up."
Meanwhile, Jordan Campbell reviews the game with slightly more hindsight, saying, "Arsenal were forced to face the cruel reality that they had succumbed to a fate they had so valiantly refused to accept. After garrisoning their penalty box with ten men for the entire second half, their defence finally caved in the 98th minute as John Stones made it 2-2. They had held a first win at the Etihad since 2015 in their hands, only for it to evaporate with less than 100 seconds remaining.
"The euphoria those Arsenal players would have felt had they held on would have been unrivalled. It would have been the strongest retort they could have sent to Rodri and anyone who doubted their ability to meet City eye-to-eye, but they still left an enhanced impression on their rivals such was the spirit they displayed."
The Independent
Rich Jolly describes the game as maybe changing the title race, explaining that "As Arsenal’s previous trip to the Etihad Stadium brought a 0-0 draw, the scoreline may not suggest they produced a defensive masterclass. Yet they did: a magnificent rearguard action almost brought the ultimate reward, in the sort of result that would reshape a season."
He continued to gush about the minerals shown by the away side: "Arsenal nevertheless displayed the substance in different forms of adversity to indicate that, if they are to depose City as champions, their hopes need not rest on 115 charges, or even 129.
"Forget the courtroom, Arsenal demonstrated they could win the title on the pitch. They first went a goal down, later a man down. They emerged in enormous credit and yet the pivotal incident for the campaign may have come when Rodri, the City invincible, went off with his side winning 1-0, a knee injury potentially having far greater consequences than an individual result.
"City famously don’t lose with Rodri playing: with him watching on, the substitute Stones averted defeat. For Haaland, a 100th City goal came in double-quick time – 10 minutes into the match – and yet became a footnote. Other occasions will be dominated by his statistics. This was not."