Manchester City player ratings v Arsenal: Two 7/10s but seven earn 5/10 in 2-2 draw - gallery

John Stones’ dramatic injury-time equaliser saved Manchester City from falling to a first defeat of the 2024/25 season on Sunday, as the champions drew 2-2 with Arsenal.

In the battle between the best offensive and defensive sides in the Premier League, it was Mikel Arteta’s impeccably drilled team who looked like they were about to come out on top, after coming from a goal down and playing for 45 minutes with 10 men, until Stones popped up with a late goal to rescue a point.

So much of the pre-match build-up had centred around concerns over a potentially tight and tense affair, one which would lack entertainment, but when the action got underway it was played with such intensity that those fears were immediately dispelled.

Another major narrative from the week was also quickly unpicked. Arsenal may be one of Europe’s best defensive units, but they were cut open too easily by Savinho in the ninth minute and his pass picked out the advancing Erling Haaland. From there, there’s only one outcome. The striker rolled the ball past David Raya with an unconventional outside-of-the-foot finish to register his 100th City goal.

It should have been more. Ilkay Gundogan miscued a volley and then hit the post via a free-kick, while Kyle Walker tested Raya from around 30 yards with a vicious strike, before Jeremy Doku cut inside and fired over.

But City’s opening 45 turned on an innocuous coming together between Rodri and Jurrien Timber in the box. The former went down clutching the back of his knee and that was his afternoon over. City will hope the injury isn’t too serious, but Rodri’s stricken look suggests it could be a serious problem.

The hosts lacked the same intensity after the introduction of Mateo Kovacic, and Arsenal capitalised. Riccardo Calafiori - on his first start for the club - curled an effort in from outside the box. If City were shocked, so was the Italian who hurtled towards the bench to celebrate a goal with an xG of 0.02. 

Meanwhile City were furious the free-kick was taken before Kyle Walker was back in position - Pep Guardiola kicked a chair in anger but Michael Oliver wasn’t interested in City’s vociferous protestations.

But they were even more vexed when Gabriel headed the Gunners in front just before six minutes of first-half injury-time were indicated. The Brazilian lost Walker in the melee from a corner and connected perfectly with Bukayo Saka’s inswinging cross.

There was more drama to come before the interval as the booked Leandro Trossard hoofed the ball away after committing a foul. The result was a second red card of the season for Arsenal, both of which have come from players kicking the ball away.

Arteta is not adverse to his side digging in and, down to 10 men away at the champions, the plan was inevitable in the second half. Executing it is another thing though, and the Gunners defended manfully after the break in a compact 5-4-0 shape.

There were simply no gaps for City to fabricate shooting opportunities and the majority of the team’s efforts came from defenders at the edge of the box. Haaland went close twice, and drew a fantastic low save from Raya in the 59th minute, before Bernardo Silva fired over.

Josko Gvardiol also should have scored when he exploited a rare gap, but fired right at Arsenal keeper, who also stopped another powerful strike from the Croat in the final minutes of added time.

The Spaniard infuriated the home crowd with his delays to restarting at dead balls - he wasn’t alone in that as the Gunners did everything in their power to ensure the minutes ticked by.

But in the end it was the home fans who were celebrating as in the eighth minute of added time, Stones pocked in from a corner to draw the game level, in what was a fractious and bad-tempered end to the game. Here’s how we rated the players...