February 15, 2023
We succumbed top spot in the Premier League for the first time since August after Manchester City claimed a 3-1 win at Emirates Stadium to leapfrog us in the table.
The reigning champions took an unwarranted lead on 24 minutes when Kevin De Bruyne pounced on an error to precisely lob Aaron Ramsdale, but we bounced back and drew level three minutes before the break through a Bukayo Saka penalty.
After finding ourselves on the right side of some VAR fortune after a City penalty was overturned, second half goals from Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland saw us slip to our first home defeat of the campaign.
The opening 24 minutes were played amidst a ferocious atmosphere at Emirates Stadium as the Gooners backed the boys with passion, leading us to come flying out of the traps and heap plenty of pressure on our opponents.
An early sign of intent came when Granit Xhaka flashed a fierce drive over the bar just a couple of minutes in, and we could have taken the lead midway through the first half when a wicked Oleksandr Zinchenko cross found Eddie Nketiah unmarked in the box, but our striker miscued his header and a great chance went begging.
And that would prove crucial as City went straight up the other end and found the net. A clearance by Ederson was flicked on by Haaland, allowing Grealish and Takehiro Tomiyasu to chase it down. Our defender got there first but under pressure, his backpass to Ramsdale was too weak, allowing De Bruyne to nip in and lob the ball into an unguarded net.
That setback came completely against the run of play, but we responded to it well and continued to look the more dangerous side. Moments after falling behind, Tomiyasu nearly found the perfect response when he got himself on the end of a cross but saw an awkward volley attempt fly over.
But on 42 minutes, we managed to restore the parity we at least deserved. Nketiah raced into the area and after nudging the ball past Ederson towards the goal, it was hacked off the line by Nathan Ake, but referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot after he spotted the City keeper had clattered into the attacker.
After a lengthy delay, and the shot-stopper escaping a second yellow card having been booked for time-wasting minutes before, Saka kept his cool to send the keeper the wrong way and tuck into the bottom corner to restore the Emirates roar.
However we were a lick of paint away from going into the break trailing when deep into stoppage-time at the end of the first half, De Bruyne whipped a free-kick into the box which found a diving Rodri at the back post, and his downward header flicked off the feet of Ake and pinged onto the crossbar, with Ramsdale clearing away the remaining danger.
The second half was just as enthralling, and it looked as though Guardiola's team would be awarded a spot-kick of their own on 57 minutes when Taylor pointed to the spot after adjudging Haaland to have been brought down by Gabriel. As the protests went on, VAR intervened and correctly ruled the Norwegia
By Arsenal
