Arsenal staff were fielding requests from the visitors in the immediate aftermath of this pulsating draw, Manchester City asking for more ice to be delivered to the away dressing room.
They had been badly burnt in the final minutes, Pep Guardiola’s five-man defence breached at the last – and an equaliser that had been of their own doing.
But this was a day City proved they can mix it again with the best. Mix it in a way observers of Guardiola’s various super teams are unfamiliar with but mix it all the same. Unashamed to go up and under. Not too proud to get rid under pressure. A niggly Bernardo Silva behaving in exactly the sort of way opposition supporters complain he does. The Emirates howling at perceived time-wasting. City recorded the lowest share of possession (33 per cent) ever under Guardiola. Not just here but at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Even so, before Gabriel Martinelli’s equaliser, City’s xG was higher than their dominant hosts.
Guardiola, who brought off Erling Haaland and went without a striker in search of a clean sheet, implored his side to go narrower and narrower. These are not City things, not Guardiola things yet the organisation and grit, the dedication to defensive instruction, the speedy counter for Haaland’s goal, should act as solid foundations.
City’s late concession at Arsenal will sting but there were positives in their dogged display
Pep Guardiola brought off Erling Haaland and went without a striker in search of a clean sheet
RODRI ON COMEBACK TRAIL
It was 364 days since Rodri lay stricken in this fixture at the Etihad Stadium, a devastating double knee injury which would keep him out for the majority of a season that proved a real struggle for City.
He exacerbated the problem during the Club World Cup, playing twice on a heavy pitch in Orlando, but City are seemingly leaving it up to the central midfielder as to how much he is involved during a prolonged comeback.
This was a third start on the bounce, following 76 minutes in last Sunday’s derby and an hour against Napoli on Thursday. Rodri has wanted to feature in all three of the games in the week but told staff during the Champions League game that he needed to come off.
They managed niggling problems throughout the week to make sure the Spaniard would be available for this huge trip to London.
‘I am not worried about the scare of the injury,’ Rodri said. ‘It is about planning, coming back. The schedule is busy, so you have to try to be smart.’
Smart is exactly what they missed when the Ballon d’Or winner was doing his rehabilitation and as they waited to find his feet on returning. That calming influence in front of the back four and somebody who can jump to nick possession higher up the pitch.
Yet, given the 29-year-old could barely walk in the final moments, there remains proof that he’s still got some way to go until he can do full games in high-octane environments such as this.
Rodri could barely walk in the final moments – proof that the 29-year-old still has some way to go until he can do full games in high-octane environments such as this one at the Emirates
DOKU’S ON THE RISE
A switch has been flicked with Jeremy Doku over the past seven days. Incredibly influential in the derby with a couple of assists and then scoring against Napoli -pipped to man of the match by Phil Foden – the Belgian has been adding far more end product to his game.
Doku has put good displays down to his faith – he was baptised after the Manchester United win – while there has been a more obvious willingness to take ownership of situations, be that going backwards or forwards.
One charging run and then a sublime through ball for Haaland in the second half summed up some improved decision-making. He won a foul when the only City man in Arsenal’s half and surrounded by six defenders.
And there were also occasions when he filled in at right back to make a back six as City dug in defensively. One bit of last ditch defending to nick a Noni Madueke effort over the bar looked vital too.
Jeremy Doku was baptised after the Man United win and put his good displays down to his faith
Abdukodir Khusanov has staked a claim to being the long-term solution at right-back this week
KHUSANOV STAKES HIS CLAIM
How quickly things can change. There were suggestions in the opening weeks of the summer that Abdukodir Khusanov was having a nervous look over his shoulder as City looked to make changes and refresh the squad. There were homegrown quotas to hit and an uncertainty as to exactly who would be saying goodbye.
Khusanov had impressed for the most part during his first few months at the club – aside from a horror debut against Chelsea – but were barely used by Guardiola. Regardless, City sent Vitor Reis on loan to Girona and Manuel Akanji went to Inter, with Khusanov now given the space to impose himself on this team.
He’s made a very strong start over the past seven days, staking a claim to being the long-term solution at right back, and the crunching tackle on Leandro Trossard two minutes into this game indicated exactly what the Uzbek is about. Those big unflinching moments were matched by the raw pace he later showed in catching Trossard up when the Belgian raced through.
The defender was substituted at half-time after picking up a foot injury. Guardiola will hope his absence is not lengthy.
