Nigeria: Man City's John Stones Denies Arsenal Win At Etihad

23 September 2024

John Stones scrambled home an equaliser seconds from time amid chaos and controversy to deny Arsenal a famous victory against Manchester City at Etihad Stadium. The game ended 2-2.

Arsenal had mounted a magnificent rearguard action following the first half-dismissal of Leandro Trossard - and stood moments away from arguably the finest moment in manager Mikel Arteta's reign - until substitute Stones forced in following a well-worked short corner at the end of seven minutes of added time.

There will be pride as well as pain for the Gunners, who went behind early on to Erling Haaland's 100th goal for Manchester City but turned a thrilling encounter on its head to lead before the interval.

In moments of huge significance, City lost talisman Rodri with a knee injury after 21 minutes, manager Pep Guardiola's mood worsening even further when Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori swept home an angled finish high past Ederson seconds later.

Arsenal's set-piece expertise was in evidence again as Gabriel, in a replica of his winner at Tottenham last week, headed home a corner at the far post seconds into first-half stoppage time.

The most contentious incident came seconds before the break when Arsenal's Trossard was given a second yellow card for kicking the ball away, leaving the visitors nursing a sense of injustice after City's Jeremy Doku had escaped punishment for a similar offence.

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