Man City vs Arsenal Highlights: FT MCI 2-1 ARS; Cherki, Haaland help City collect crucial win at Etihad

That’s it from us in our coverage of the Manchester City vs Arsenal Premier League showdown! Thank you and good night!

Man City not only enjoyed greater possession of the ball, they also produced more shots as well as shots on target.

Arsenal remain top of the table, but Man City are now just three points behind them with a game in hand:

90+7′: MANCHESTER CITY DEFEAT ARSENAL 2-1! Pep Guardiola’s men prevail in what is a massive game as far as the 2025-26 Premier League title race is concerned!

And despite the fact that Arsenal remain top of the table, the momentum is firmly with City at the moment!

90+6′: Havertz had capitalised on a goalkeeping error by Donnarumma in the first half, and nearly scores another equaliser five minutes into stoppage time. His header off a Trossard cross, however, goes narrowly above the goalpost! Is that the game, and perhaps the Championship, for Arsenal?

90′: City, meanwhile, bring in more fresh legs with Savinho and Nico Gonzalez replacing Jeremy Doku and Rodri respectively.

86′: The Manchester City boss wasn’t happy with Gabriel being showed a yellow card instead of being sent off, and enters the referee’s book as a result.

86′: Phil Foden comes in for Rayan Cherki, who had put City in the lead with a brilliant 16th-minute strike.

Arsenal make another change in the meantime, with Viktor Gyokeres replacing Martin Zubimendi.

83′: More drama in the top-of-the-table clash, though not for footballing reasons as heated exchange between Haaland and Gabriel snowballs into a massive fight with both teams getting involved. Both players are awarded a yellow card as a result.

78′: Arsenal launch a counter from a City corner with a little over 10 minutes left in regular time. Bernardo Silva, however, catches up with Kai Havertz and deflects the ball away to safety before the German can take the final shot.

74′: Arteta sends Ben White and Leandro Trossard in place of Cristhian Mosquera and Eberechi Eze with a little over 15 minutes left in regular time. This just a couple of minutes after Arsenal hit the post again, this time through a header by Gabriel off a free kick taken by Odegaard.

70′: City, however, aren’t quite able to double their lead in the two set pieces, with Doku’s left-footed shot going wide in the second opportunity.

65′: Manchester City had been threatening to restore their lead in the second half, and it’s their biggest star Erling Haaland who produces what could be a defining moment in the title race! The Norwegian striker pounces on a loose ball inside the box and fires it past Raya with a left-footed strike.

61′: Less than two minutes after Donnarumma’s big save, which is followed immediately after by line clearance by O’Reilly, we have Eze curling the ball away from a diving Donnarumma, only for the ball to deflect off the left post and roll across the goal. Arsenal nearly seize the lead twice around the hour mark!

60′: Donnarumma redeems himself for his howler earlier in the game with an excellent save to deny Havertz a double after three Arsenal forwards charge into the City box in what is their most promising chance so far in the second half.

58′: Bernardo Silva, however, puts too much power in his inswinging corner, resulting in the ball landing on top of the net.

51′: After nearly committing a howler in the opening minutes of the contest, Raya slips while attempting to collect the ball before an onrushing Semenyo, who gives up in his chase. Doku then attempts a low shot from the edge of the box a minute later, but hits it straight to Raya.

48′: City are awarded a set piece less than five minutes after restart, with Arsenal keeper Raya forced to parry the ball away in response to the first shot. Khusanov’s subsequent shot is also blocked by the Arsenal defence. The ball then rolls towards Haaland, whose shot from a tight angle on the right side of the box deflects off the corner for a goal kick.

46′: Gabriel Martinelli replaces Noni Madueke for the Gunners as action resumes at the Etihad Stadium.

City lead Arsenal 62-38 as far as possession is concerned, but the Gunners are slightly ahead on the corner count.

45+1′: Just one minute is added to the clock after 45 minutes are up in the blockbuster top-of-the-table showdown at the Etihad Stadium. City and Arsenal head to their respective dressing rooms with a goal apiece.

Don’t go anywhere. The second half should be just as dramatic as the first, if not more, and the players will be back on the field shortly.

43′: Close shave for Arsenal in the second of those two corners, with Saliba having to produce a goal-line clearance. The goal, however, would not have counted even if Saliba failed to clear the ball, thanks to a foul on Raya by O’Reilly.

40′: Kai Haverts nearly puts Arsenal in the lead five minutes before half-time after an inch-perfect cross from Mosquera finds him at the centre of the box, with only the keeper to beat. Khusanov, however, gets in the way of the ball and kicks it away for a corner.

37′: Referee Anthony Taylor makes his first booking of the game with less than 10 minutes left in the first half minus stoppage time, with Mosquera getting booked for pulling Doku back.

33′: The set piece, the first for City in this game, ends with Guehi heading the ball straight into Raya’s hands.

30′: City could have found themselves in another embarrassing situation at the half-hour mark, with Khusanov’s pass to the Donnarumma going wide, forcing the keeper to give the ball a chase all the way to the touchline. Might have proven costly for Guardiola’s men had some Arsenal forward pounced on it like Havertz did a while ago.

27′: Doku charges in from the left flank, his pass finding Haaland at the edge of the penalty area at a central position. Haaland’s finish, however, turns out to be a weak one that goes wide of the post in addition to lacking power.

25′: The equaliser should do a world of good to Arsenal’s confidence, and should put concerns over their recent form on the back burner for now. Haaland, meanwhile, tries to put City in the lead again on the break, but overhits his pass to Semenyo.

18′: Arsenal’s lead lasts less than two minutes thanks to an absolute howler by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma! The Italian collects the ball from the left flank and attempts a goal kick from the edge of the touchline right next to the goalpost.

Havertz, however, pounces on the shot in the last second, sticking his right leg out which results in the ball deflecting straight into the empty goalpost!

16′: Brilliant finish by Rayan Cherki to help City gain the early lead in the top-of-the-table clash against Arsenal! The French attacking midfielder charges in from the right channel and weaves his way through an army of midfielders, firing the ball past Raya in a clinical finish!