Arsenal’s Brazilian midfielder #11 Gabriel Martinelli celebrates after scoring their first goal during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium in London on September 21, 2025. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli delivered a dramatic 95th-minute equalizer on Sunday, rescuing his team from a narrow defeat to Manchester City in a thrilling English Premier League (EPL) clash.
City had held the upper hand following an early strike from their Norwegian forward, Erling Haaland.
However, in a rare departure from his typically aggressive tactics, City manager Pep Guardiola made a series of cautious substitutions that left his side without a recognised striker as the match entered its final stages.
Guardiola’s decision to opt for a more defensive strategy ultimately backfired, and it was a substitution made by Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta that proved pivotal.
Martinelli, who had been introduced from the bench, capitalized on the opportunity and secured a vital point for his side, avoiding a second defeat to a title contender after their loss to Liverpool earlier this season.
With the draw, Arsenal climbed to second in the Premier League, just five points behind leaders Liverpool, while Manchester City languished in ninth place, having won only two of their opening five matches.
For Guardiola, it marked a difficult spell, with City now eight points behind the league leaders.
After five successive league games without a win against Arsenal, it’s clear that Guardiola’s side faces an uphill battle to close the gap to the top.
Despite complaining about the fixture congestion following City’s Champions League opener against Napoli just days before, Guardiola stuck with an unchanged lineup for the clash at the Emirates.
He had previously voiced frustration, saying that his team had little time to recover, jokingly suggesting that they might as well “go hiking” during the 66 hours between their two matches.
But Guardiola’s frustration seemed misplaced when Haaland’s early goal in the ninth minute gave City the advantage.
However, as the game wore on, Arsenal’s resilience paid off, and Martinelli’s late strike ensured they would salvage a point from the encounter.
