Gabriel Martinelli's late goal on his return from injury gave Arsenal their first Premier League win over Manchester City since 2015, as Mikel Arteta got the better of mentor Pep Guardiola for the first time as a manager in the competition.
Martinelli, a half-time substitute, scored in the 86th minute with a deflected shot off Nathan Ake that lifts Arsenal above Man City in the table with a result that will give huge belief to the Gunners' hopes of winning the title.
See: Analysis of how Arteta got better of Guardiola
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How the match unfolded
Both sides made three changes, with the headline team news being Bukayo Saka missing out with an injury picked up in the UEFA Champions League in midweek. It ended the winger's club-record run of 87 consecutive Premier League appearances that was also the longest active run in the competition.
Ake came back into Man City's team and it was the Dutch defender who had the best chance of the match in the first four minutes.
Declan Rice cleared Josko Gvardiol's back-post effort off the line before, in the same run of play, Erling Haaland set up Ake, who fired over the bar from close range when he had only David Raya to beat.
Man City then came within inches of scoring 17 minutes in, when Raya took too long to play out from the back and his clearance ricocheted off Julian Alvarez and wide of the Arsenal 'keeper's goal.
With Man City having two big chances to Arsenal's none, Arteta made a half-time change, Martinelli returning from injury to replace Leandro Trossard, and the Brazilian changed the match.
The match-defining moment came with just four minutes remaining, and three of Arteta's other substitutes had a big involvement.
Thomas Partey played a long ball forward and Takehiro Tomiyasu combined with Kai Havertz, who teed up Martinelli to shoot in from the edge of the box via a big deflection that wrongfooted Ederson.
It stunned Man City, who were unable to reply, with Gvardiol's fourth-minute effort being their only shot on target of the match as Haaland was a bystander for much of the match.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
35 | +57 | 80 |
| 2 |
Manchester City
MCI
|
34 | +50 | 79 |
| 3 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
35 | +41 | 75 |
| 4 |
Aston Villa
AVL
|
35 | +21 | 67 |
| 5 |
Tottenham Hotspur
TOT
|
34 | +13 | 60 |
| 6 |
Manchester United
MUN
|
34 | +1 | 54 |
It means Arsenal remain as one of only two unbeaten teams in the Premier League this season and are behind the other, Tottenham Hotspur, in the table on goals scored alone.
Man City are third, two points behind, having suffered back-to-back Premier League losses for the first time since 2018.
See: Arteta - Beating Man City sends a message
What a moment ❤️ pic.twitter.com/7rQ27KVQo8
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 8, 2023
The key stats
After a run of 15 matches without a victory in this fixture (D2 L13), losing each of the last 12 in a row, Arsenal have beaten Man City in the Premier League for the first time since December 2015.
Arsenal have won a Premier League match against the competition’s reigning champions for the first time since April 2017, against Leicester City. They had lost their last 10 matches against such sides.
Man City had four shots in this match, the fewest a Guardiola side have had in a top-flight match since April 2010.
Arsenal are yet to lose in the Premier League this season (W6 D2), last going on a longer unbeaten run to start a campaign in 2007/08, with 15.
Martinelli scored his first Premier League goal of the season, ending a run of nine appearances without converting since netting against Southampton in April.
Arteta has now beaten all 24 teams he has faced as a manager in the Premier League, having lost all seven previous meetings with Man City before this one.
