Arsenal share points with Man City after score chase

Walcott and Mustafi twice equalized the gap created by the opponent, helping Wenger's army to a 2-2 draw at home.

Arsenal twice found an equalizer after falling behind. Photo: Reuters.

Goals: Walcott 40', Mustafi 53' - Sane 5', Aguero 42'.

The draw prevented Arsenal from closing the seven-point gap with fourth-placed Man City. In terms of chances, Man City had the edge while Arsenal had more possession. Three of the four goals scored by both teams came from major defensive errors. The final 35 minutes of the match were a tug-of-war between the two teams but no goals were scored.

Arsenal's defence was shaky in the opening minutes, allowing Leroy Sane to open the scoring early. The German midfielder collected a pass from Kevin De Bruyne, dribbled past David Ospina and slotted the ball into the net. In this situation, Arsenal's defence made a serious mistake by leaving a large gap between the centre-back and right-back. Just a minute before Sane scored, Ospina had to come out quite far to block Raheem Sterling's run.

After conceding the goal, Arsenal regained the initiative but their midfield was not performing well. Mesut Ozil, who returned to the squad after six weeks out, looked like he had not yet regained his touch while Granit Xhaka frequently misplaced his passes. Alexis Sanchez was still the bright spot on the left flank, Arsenal's main attacking channel, but the Chilean's efforts often ended in him falling after collisions.

Sane dribbled past Ospina before opening the scoring. Photo: Reuters.

Arsenal's equaliser came after a failed offside trap by the Man City defence. After a corner kick, Xhaka headed the ball back into the box but Fernandinho failed to get forward. Theo Walcott received the ball properly and scored from close range with the toe of his boot.

Arsenal's joy of equalising lasted only two minutes. Man City's attackers once again exploited a gap in their opponents' marking. Sergio Aguero received a pass from David Silva in an open position. The Argentine midfielder had time to adjust the ball carefully and then fired a cross-angle shot, beating Ospina. In this situation, from Sane to De Bruyne, Silva and Aguero, the ball was slowly passed across the Arsenal penalty area without any intervention from the home players.

Arsenal started the second half with more confidence but Man City still created the first chance with Aguero's close-range header. Nearly 10 minutes into the second half, the home team equalized from an aerial challenge. Centre-back Mustafi finished with a tricky header, beating goalkeeper Willy Caballero.

This draw could not help Wenger push back the criticism aimed at him. Photo: Reuters.

After Mustafi's goal, both teams played more cautiously. The match saw a lot of midfield battles, often interrupted by fouls. Man City created more chances. Notably, Fernandinho's volley was a big one, but Ospina flew to save Arsenal.

Before this match, Arsenal fans held a large protest demanding that manager Wenger leave. This draw was an acceptable result for Arsenal in the context of losing four of their previous five matches. However, in terms of ball possession and number of shots, the "Gunners" were inferior to their opponents. Therefore, this was not a performance that could help Wenger end the criticism aimed at him.

According to VNE