Fixture - Man City vs Arsenal

Match report

For the best photos from before and during the match, scroll to 'Photostream' on the box above left

Laurent Koscielny earned Arsenal a point at the Etihad Stadium with a late equaliser in their Barclays Premier League match against Manchester City.

Arsenal could not make their first-half dominance count as Joleon Lescott headed the hosts in front from a 40th-minute corner. That looked like being enough, but Koscielny proved the unlikely hero with an unstoppable shot from a corner eight minutes from time.

Both sides wore black armbands to remember Greater Manchester Police officers Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes, who were killed on Tuesday, and all sides of the ground stood for a period of applause before kick-off.

City were boosted by the return of Sergio Aguero for the first time since the opening weekend of the season after a knee injury, and the striker had the first chance of the game in the 14th minute with a curling shot that was pushed away by Vito Mannone.

Arsenal also looked dangerous and Gervinho almost had a chance to put them ahead as he ran on to Aaron Ramsey's through-pass but lost control of the ball at the vital moment.

The visiting side took on City with pace and in the 24th minute Carl Jenkinson pulled the ball back to Lukas Podolski, who skied his shot over the bar before Gervinho then fired just wide.

But it was City who scored first in the 40th minute when Lescott headed in David Silva's corner as Mannone failed to claim the ball. City could even have been two ahead at the break but Mannone’s fingertips stopped Edin Dzeko's curling shot from going in.

Roberto Mancini adjusted his midfield at the break by bringing on Jack Rodwell for Scott Sinclair and it seemed to lift City. Aguero fired over at the back post and then had a shot that was blocked by Kieran Gibbs.

Arsenal were still passing the ball a lot and Gervinho had another shot but again he could not put it on target in the 66th minute. Dzeko was replaced by Carlos Tevez while Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger made a double change, Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud coming on for Lukas Podolski and Abou Diaby.

Wenger's side were pressing hard but City almost killed off the game off on the break in the 80th minute, Yaya Toure playing in Aguero for a shot that was smartly stopped by Mannone.

That proved to be a crucial moment as Arsenal went up the other end and Santi Cazorla drew the first real save out of Hart with a fine shot from the edge of the box. The Spaniard took the resulting corner and Lescott could only divert the ball to the feet of Koscielny, who smashed the ball into the top corner.

Arsenal had Mannone to thank for keeping them level moments later as he saved Vincent Kompany's acrobatic overhead kick before Aguero then shot inches wide.

The away side had the final chance but Gervinho's finish did not match his approach play, the Ivorian firing over from 15 yards out.