A sense of disappointment hung heavy in the Arsenal dressing room following their dramatic 2-2 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. Despite a valiant performance, the Gunners were left frustrated after conceding a late equalizer deep into stoppage time.
Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal manager, acknowledged the palpable disappointment amongst his players. “The boys were really gutted,” Arteta told the media. “They put their heart & souls into every single action & to be punished in the last minute, they were gutted.”
The match was a rollercoaster of emotions, with both teams showcasing incredible attacking prowess. Erling Haaland opened the scoring for City, only to see his goal canceled out by a magnificent strike from Riccardo Calafiori. Gabriel then gave Arsenal the lead before the break. The Gunners were reduced to 10 men in stoppage time, but despite the disadvantage, they battled tirelessly against a relentless City attack.
David Raya, the Arsenal goalkeeper, delivered two exceptional saves to deny Josko Gvardiol, seemingly securing a crucial win for the Gunners. However, the drama wasn’t over as John Stones found the back of the net in the dying seconds to snatch a point for City.
Despite the disappointment of the late equalizer, Arteta remained positive about his team’s performance. “They have made another big step today as a team & individually,” he added. The draw against Manchester City leaves Arsenal in fourth place on the Premier League table with 11 points after five games. The Gunners will look to regroup and bounce back in their next fixture, a Carabao Cup tie against Bolton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.
