Gabriel Martinelli came to Arsenal’s rescue on Sunday as his dramatic last-gasp strike sealed a 1-1 draw against Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium, punishing Pep Guardiola’s unusually defensive approach.
City had taken the lead through Erling Haaland’s early first-half goal and looked on course for a hard-fought victory. But Guardiola’s decision to adopt an uncharacteristically cautious strategy in the closing stages — withdrawing his recognised strikers in favour of defensive reinforcements — backfired heavily.
It was a tactical gamble that betrayed Guardiola’s usual commitment to attacking football, and it gave Arsenal the momentum they needed. Mikel Arteta’s proactive substitution proved decisive as Martinelli came off the bench to deliver the crucial equaliser, sparing the Gunners from a second defeat to a major title rival after their August loss to champions Liverpool.
The result lifted Arsenal into second place, five points adrift of early pacesetters Liverpool, who maintained a perfect start with five wins from five. Meanwhile, City slipped to ninth, with only two wins from their opening five league matches, leaving them already eight points behind Arne Slot’s in-form Liverpool.
For Guardiola, the draw marked another frustrating milestone — he has now gone five consecutive league matches without victory against a single opponent for the first time in his Premier League tenure.
The Spaniard had already expressed his displeasure at fixture congestion, lamenting City’s short turnaround after their Champions League clash with Napoli compared to Arsenal’s preparation time. “We might as well go hiking,” Guardiola quipped, highlighting the physical demands on his squad.
Despite his complaints, he named an unchanged side at the Emirates, and Haaland’s early strike after just nine minutes suggested City had enough to cope. But as the match wore on, Guardiola’s retreat into a defensive shell invited pressure, and Arsenal — roared on by their home crowd — seized the lifeline through Martinelli’s decisive intervention.
