Two substitutes combined to rescue a point for Arsenal in London. Eberechi Eze played the ball from midfield, releasing Martinelli who expertly chipped the ball over goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Gabriel Martinelli chips the ball into the far corner for the equalizing goal, during Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Man City in the fifth round of the Premier League at Emirates Stadium, London, England on 21/9/2025. Photo: The Guardian

At the Emirates Stadium yesterday, Man City employed a pragmatic approach, a style not typically associated with Pep Guardiola's teams. The visitors had 30% possession, registering 4 shots with 3 on target, compared to Arsenal's 11 shots and 2 on target.

Erling Haaland's angled shot opens the scoring. Photo: Reuters

Man City's best opportunities stemmed from transitions, all finished by Haaland. One such move proved decisive in this fifth-round Premier League encounter.

In the 9th minute, Haaland laid the ball off for Tijjani Reijnders to surge forward from midfield. The Dutch player advanced towards the penalty area before returning the ball to Haaland, who finished with a precise right-footed shot across the goal, beating goalkeeper David Raya. The Norwegian striker extended his lead at the top of the goalscoring charts with six goals, three more than his nearest rivals.

This was the earliest Premier League goal conceded by Arsenal since 9/2024, also scored by Haaland in the 9th minute of a 2-2 draw at Man City. It was also the third time Arsenal had conceded from a counter-attack in the Premier League in 2025, following goals by Jarrod Bowen for West Ham in February and Bryan Mbeumo for Brentford in January.

Man City launched a similar counter-attack in the 57th minute. Jeremy Doku played a through ball to Haaland, whose close-range effort was saved by Raya. Under pressure, Eberechi Eze's clearance ricocheted off Declan Rice and flew just over the bar, giving Arsenal fans a scare.

*More to follow

Hong Duy