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

After conceding the goal, Arsenal regained the initiative but their midfield did not perform well. Mesut Ozil, who returned to the squad after six weeks of absence, did not seem to have 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 equalizer came after a failed offside trap by the Man City defense. After a corner kick, Xhaka headed the ball back into the box but Fernandinho was unable 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 took advantage of a lack of marking from their opponents. 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 to Aguero, the ball was slowly passed across the Arsenal penalty area without any intervention from the home player.

Arsenal started the second half with more confidence, but Man City still created the first chance with Aguero's close-range header. With nearly 10 minutes of the second half gone, 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 battles in the middle of the field, often interrupted by fouls. Man City created more chances, notably a powerful volley from Fernandinho but Ospina flew to save Arsenal.

Before this match, Arsenal fans held a large protest to demand Wenger's departure. This draw was an acceptable result for Arsenal in the context of losing four of the 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