Manchester City and Arsenal could both come to regret actions as title rivalry takes new twist

Sunday’s fractious Premier League meeting between Manchester City and Arsenal was stuffed so full of drama and incidents that, when the action finally concluded, it was difficult to know where to begin with the post-match assessment.

What were the biggest talking points? John Stones’ injury-time equaliser? Arsenal’s stellar defensive showing? Leandro Trossard’s red card? Or maybe Rodri’s injury? 

Erling Haaland’s 100th goal in blue got largely overlooked…

In truth there were plenty of moments that went unnoticed from the Etihad press box. Haaland’s petulant ball throw at Gabriel - ‘what happened there?’. Kyle Walker’s protestations at Arsenal’s opener - ‘what’s he complaining about, exactly?’. And a fiery exchange between the benches - ‘are you sure?’.

However, one thing could not escape the attention of anyone who observed Sunday’s pulsating 2-2 draw - this is now a serious rivalry.

There’s always an edge between sides competing for the title, but the days of Keane-Vieira-esque tunnel bust-ups are long gone. City’s battles with Liverpool were at times criticised for being too respectful and for lacking a real sense of hatred.

Until Sunday, many would have similarly described the relationship that existed between City and Arsenal, the top two in each of the last two seasons. Only recently have the Blues come to view the London club as a bona-fide challenger, after all, just over two years ago they were happy to sell Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to help strengthen Mikel Arteta’s side. It’s a decision City officials wouldn’t replicate today.

There’s no doubting the enmity that now exists between the two sets of players, and in some ways Arsenal should see City’s reaction on Sunday as the ultimate compliment. Only a real rival could get the champions so riled up.

The fans also helped make the encounter such an absorbing affair. Four days after the atmosphere was criticised in the 0-0 draw against Inter Milan, the raucous crowd only amplified the tension in this top-of-the-table clash.

Peter Schmeichel’s attendance might have added a little motivation for those in his vicinity. The former goalkeeper was a vocal critic of the atmosphere in midweek and several City fans let him know exactly what they thought of Wednesday’s on-air comments. Sat in the front row of the press box, Schmeichel might request a seat further back next time.

It all lacked a real sense of malice though, nothing crossed the line. The same can be said of the on-field actions of those in blue and red. There was lots of pushing and shoving, some words exchanged, but nothing the Premier League should be overly concerned about.

League officials might even be quietly pleased with the scuffles that punctuated the final minutes of Sunday’s game. It adds an extra dimension to the title race. 

The ample incidents only made the match more absorbing, raised the stakes even higher and added to the consequence and significance of the final score. This was much more than 90 minutes of football, this was a chance for both teams to inflict a real psychological blow at an early stage of the title race.

But for two sides who have demonstrated such composure in high-stakes environments over the last year, it was a tad surprising how much both let their emotions spill over. They might come to regret it for different reasons.

Arsenal have poked the bear. City don’t need additional motivation to win a title, and if their desire had waned at all after four successive titles, the Gunners have provided fresh impetus.

The time delays were understandable given they played for so long with 10 men, but was David Raya’s ‘injury break’ really needed? Did substitute Myles Lewis-Skelly have to pick a booking for unsporting behaviour? And was it wise for Arteta to grab the ball on the touchline when it was clearly a City throw?

It’s not the first time the former City coach has provoked his one-time colleagues. The Spaniard’s post-match verdict was also needlessly partisan as he implied Trossard’s deserved red card was unfair and questioned the amount of injury-time awarded after his players spent the entire second half running down the clock.

They were not the only side to attract criticism, though. As ex-Gunner and Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson will attest to, it takes two to tango.

Haaland, in particular, seemed keen to instigate as many disputes as possible. He barged into Gabriel Saliba inside the opening 10 minutes and carried out a similar action on Thomas Partey after the restart from Stones’ goal. The ball thrown at Gabriel was beneath him, as was the mocking of Lewis-Skelly. ‘Who the f*** are you?’ Haaland shouted at the teenager amid a late player melee he had inadvertently started.

The overwrought Norwegian stoked another incident post-match when he sarcastically told Arteta to ‘stay humble’ before exchanging words with ex-City forward Gabriel Jesus.

He wasn’t the only City star who was evidently vexed. In the post-match interviews, John Stones spoke about Arsenal’s use of the ‘dark arts’, Bernardo Silva pointed to their rival’s lack of recent trophies and criticised their time-wasting antics, while Manuel Akanji sneeringly remarked that the visitors were ‘happy’ with a draw, unlike City, before adding he can’t see the Gunners claiming the title this season.

Pep Guardiola, who was notably more measured post-match, might not thank his players for becoming embroiled in a scrap that feels avoidable. It will only provide the challengers with greater incentive to overhaul their status as champions.

It leads to the inevitable question of what next, and while the teams won’t meet again in the league for several months, the immediate focus is how this will shape the title race. City face a relatively kind run over the next five: Newcastle United, Fulham, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Southampton and Bournemouth.

Arsenal will also feel confident of taking maximum points in the upcoming games against Leicester, Southampton and Bournemouth, by which point a real battle at the top will have taken shape.

City and Arsenal will next draw swords (metaphorically, hopefully) in early February - a game that won’t lack for pre-match narratives and build-up. It's a fixture no-one will want to miss.