Arsenal held Manchester City to a 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium to keep their hopes of finishing above arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the league alive.
The game also cast major doubts over the Etihad outfit’s Champions League hopes for next season, as cross-town rivals, Manchester United, now find themselves only two points adrift with a game in hand.
Sergio Aguero opened the scoring for Manuel Pellegrini’s side with an accurate finish, but Olivier Giroud equalised almost instantly. Kevin de Bruyne then produced a brilliant solo effort to hand the lead to the Citizens, only for Alexis Sanchez to bring his side back on level terms with a stunning strike.
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Here are the player ratings for the match.
Manchester City
Joe Hart – 6/10
The English shot-stopper could not do much for the two goals he conceded, but was solid apart from that and produced a good save to stop Theo Walcott from scoring.
Bacary Sagna – 5.5/10
The former Arsenal right-back was solid defensively but failed to cause Arsene Wenger’s side any problems in the final third. The Frenchman was let down by his poor crossing and decision making.
Nicolas Otamendi – 6/10
In the absence of Vincent Kompany, the Frenchman marshalled the backline. The Argentine made some vital blocks and clearances to keep the scoreline level.
Eliaquim Mangala – 4.5/10
Mangala was at fault for Arsenal’s first equalizer as he failed to mark Olivier Giroud. The French defender was solid otherwise.
Gael Clichy – 6.5/10
Was lucky not to score the equalizer for Arsenal, when his bizarre headed clearance came back off the post. Apart from that, the former Arsenal full-back had a commanding performance and provided good support on the left flank whenever required, linking up with Kevin de Bruyne.
Fernando – 5/10
The Brazilian midfielder failed to assert himself on the game but helped his side dominate proceedings in the middle of the park.
Fernandinho – 6.5/10
The 31-year-old provided the assist for Sergio Aguero’s opener and was the more dominant of the two holding midfielders fielded by Manuel Pellegrini. The Brazilian also helped City recover possession on more occasions than one.
Jesus Navas – 7/10
The former Sevilla man had a decent game, with his cross playing a vital part in the Etihad outfit’s opener. Marauded up and down the right flank providing attacking impetus while also providing defensive cover. Still needs to add consistency to his game.
Kevin de Bruyne – 8.5/10
The Belgian was City’s best player on the pitch and capped off his performance with a brilliant solo goal. Threatened to unlock Arsenal’s defence with his clever passing and intricate movements.
Kelechi Iheanacho – 4.5/10
The young striker worked hard for the Citizens but was let down by his poor decision making as he failed to find a team-mate having burst through the middle.
Sergio Aguero – 8/10
The Argentine hitman cannot stop scoring at the moment and has now scored in six consecutive league games. Opened the scoring for his side with a deft finish from inside the box, beating Petr Cech at his near post. His work-rate kept the Arsenal defenders on their toes for most of the game, while he also troubled them with his quick footwork.
Substitutes:
Raheem Sterling – N/A
Replaced Iheanacho in the 70th minute, but couldn’t make much impact on the game.
Yaya Toure – N/A
Came on as a 79th-minute substitute for Fernando, but failed to influence the game.
Wilfried Bony – N/A
The Ivory Coast international rattled the crossbar in the closing stages of the game, having replaced Navas in the 79th minute.
Arsenal
Petr Cech – 3/10
The Czech Republic shot-stopper had a night to forget as he was beaten at his near post for both of Manchester City’s goal. The 33-year-old is the only goalkeeper in the English Premier League to have conceded 10 goals from outside of the box this season – a rather poor stat to be associated with considering his stature.
Hector Bellerin – 5/10
The Spaniard was partly at fault for De Bruyne’s goal, as he let the Belgian slip away. Produced a trademark run in the second half but failed to influence the game otherwise, as he was kept busy by De Bruyne.
Gabriel – 5/10
Replaced Per Mertesacker in the starting line-up and produced a vital block to deny Aguero from scoring his second. Was at fault for De Bruyne’s goal as failed to block his low shot.
Laurent Koscielny – 6/10
The Frenchman made some vital interceptions and blocks to deny Manchester City from adding to their tally. Improved as the game progressed, but hesitated to put in challenges on a few occasions.
Nacho Monreal – 5.5/10
The Spaniard failed to influence the game from an attacking point of view, as he was kept busy by Jesus Navas but was solid at the back.
Mohamed Elneny – 6.5/10
The January signing from FC Basel was at his industrious best, before being replaced by Francis Coquelin in the 76th minute. Elneny covered a huge amount of ground and was always at hand to protect the back four.
Aaron Ramsey – 5/10
The Welshman had a dismal game in the heart of Arsenal’s midfield. Ramsey was guilty of not putting in challenges on more than one occasion, as the Manchester City players breezed past him. He did play a delightful ball for Theo Walcott, but overall it was a poor performance by him.
Alexis Sanchez – 7.5/10
Alexis had a quiet first-half as Manchester City defenders were able to subdue the explosive Chilean. However, burst into life for Arsenal’s second goal as he started the move and then produced a brilliant finish to ensure that the Gunners return to North London with a point.
Alex Iwobi – 4.5/10
The teenager had a difficult game and was moved from the middle to the flanks by Arsene Wenger, before being replaced by Theo Walcott in the 59th minute. Lacked the creativity required to influence the game against a top-quality opposition.
Danny Welbeck – N/A
The Englishman started the game brightly but had to be substituted in the 25th minute due to a knee injury, which may cast doubts over his involvement in the Euro 2016.
Olivier Giroud – 8.5/10
The French striker scored his first league goal in 16 matches, having last scored against Liverpool in the 3-3 draw at Anfield in January. Giroud nodded home Elneny’s corner after Mangala had abandoned marking him. The Frenchman grew in confidence as the game progressed and produced a wonderful lay-off for Alexis Sanchez’s stunner.
Substitutes:
Jack Wilshere – 6/10
Replaced Welbeck in the 25th minute and provided drive and spark to the Arsenal attack.
Francis Coquelin – N/A
The Frenchman came on to replace Elneny in the 76th minute but didn’t have enough time to influence the game.
Theo Walcott – N/A
Came on as a second-half substitute for the struggling Alex Iwobi. Had a decent chance, but failed to find the back of the net.
