LONDON (BN24) — Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench to score a stoppage-time equalizer as Arsenal held Manchester City to a 1-1 draw in a tightly contested Premier League match at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
The Brazilian forward’s late finish marked his second impactful appearance as a substitute in a week, following his goal and assist against Athletic Club in the Champions League on Tuesday. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had praised his bench players following that victory, calling his “finishers” potentially more important than the starting lineup, a belief vindicated once again as Martinelli struck in the 93rd minute.
Manchester City had taken an early lead through Erling Haaland, who capped a swift counter-attack in the ninth minute by rolling a shot past goalkeeper David Raya. The Norwegian striker, who now leads the Premier League with six goals in five matches, initiated the move from his own half and finished after linking up with Tijjani Reijnders.
City pressed aggressively in the opening period and nearly doubled their lead when Reijnders forced a strong save from Raya. Arsenal, meanwhile, struggled for creativity before halftime, with Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice, and Mikel Merino forming a static midfield that failed to break down City’s defense. Home supporters grew restless, despite promising moments from Noni Madueke, who was Arsenal’s most threatening player in the first half.
Changes at halftime proved crucial. Arteta introduced Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka who was returning from a hamstring injury—and Arsenal’s tempo improved immediately. Zubimendi shot narrowly over, and Eze tested Gianluigi Donnarumma with a low effort as the Gunners pushed for an equalizer.
City remained dangerous on the counter, particularly through Jeremy Doku, and Pep Guardiola responded to Arsenal’s second-half pressure by shifting to a back five. He also substituted Haaland for holding midfielder Nico Gonzalez, hoping to protect the narrow lead.
But Martinelli’s late goal, a dinked finish after latching onto Eze’s through ball, ensured Arsenal came away with a point. It was a moment of joy for the Emirates crowd. However, both sides were ultimately left unsatisfied, especially as league leaders Liverpool extended their advantage at the top to five points after just five games.
Arteta, who remains the only manager to avoid defeat in five consecutive meetings against Guardiola, faces increasing scrutiny over his team selections in big matches. The midfield trio of Zubimendi, Rice, and Merino also started in the 1-0 defeat to Liverpool and has drawn criticism for its lack of attacking output.
For Martinelli, it capped a resurgent week following a difficult spell in his career. The 22-year-old’s decisive goals in both European and domestic competitions may give Arteta more to think about ahead of future fixtures.
