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Arsenal dropped two points in heartbreaking fashion on Sunday late afternoon as Manchester City netted a last-gasp equaliser in a dramatic 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium.
John Stones stabbed the ball home in the final minute of second-half stoppages to break the Gunners’ hearts, stealing a point for Pep Guardiola’s title-defending side.
Despite falling to ten men on the stroke of half-time, Arsenal’s brave performance nearly earned them a precious win on City’s home ground, making Mikel Arteta ‘proud.’
“What I can tell you is that 99 times out of 100, if you play 56 minutes against this side with ten men, you are going to lose, and you are going to lose by a lot of goals,” Arteta told Arsenal.com after the game.
“We are very proud.”
Manchester United legend Gary Neville backed Arsenal to end Man City’s reign of dominance after back-to-back runner-up finishes at the start of the season.
However, the famous pundit now fears the North London powerhouse could come to rue the Cityzens’ last-minute comeback.
“You just think, where will we be in April and May with this game?” Neville said, as reported by The Sun.
“Will we be going back to that final minute, and what happened with the John Stones goal, will we be thinking that City win the title by one point, and that moment determines it?”
Yet to lose a competitive fixture this season, Arsenal have no time to dwell on Sunday’s heartache as they continue their pursuit of their first Premier League title since 2003/04.
Arteta’s men have two more league matches waiting until the end of September before they embark on a potentially season-defining month of October.
Let’s see what awaits the Gunners next month.
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Paris Saint-Germain [Champions League, H] – 01/10/2024
David Raya’s heroics between the sticks spared Arsenal’s blushes on their matchday-one trip to Bergamo, salvaging a scoreless draw against Atalanta.
It wasn’t an ideal Champions League start, especially given the highly competitive new format.
But there’s plenty of time to recover, and the upcoming home game against PSG could be a perfect starting point.
Despite losing Kylian Mbappe in the summer, Les Parisiens have enjoyed a bright start to the season, winning all but one of their opening six outings across all competitions.
This contest has all the makings of a blockbuster, though Arsenal can draw inspiration from the French side’s notorious European struggles to post an all-important win.
Southampton [Premier League, H] – 05/10/2024
Southampton’s swift top-flight return hasn’t gone to plan thus far, with the Saints picking up just one point after the first five rounds.
It takes no rocket science to understand Arsenal cannot afford a slip-up against Russell Martin’s underachievers.
However, the Gunners cannot take anything for granted after failing to beat the St. Mary’s outfit in their last three league encounters.
Bournemouth [Premier League, A] – 19/10/2024
It’s been an underwhelming Premier League start for Bournemouth as they’ve claimed just one win in the opening five matches.
But Arsenal can’t underestimate the threat of the Vitality Stadium, even though they’ve won on their last two league visits to this ground by an aggregate score of 7-0.
Andoni Iraola has built a fiercely competitive squad, capable of causing upsets, so the Gunners must be wary of the potential damage the Cherries can produce in Boscombe.
Shakhtar Donetsk [Champions League, H] – 22/10/2024
Anything other than three points against the Ukrainians would land a massive blow on Arsenal’s quest to reach the knockout stages in this new format.
Shakhtar held Bologna to a scoreless draw at the beginning of their Champions League journey despite facing a whopping 17 shots at Renato Dall’Ara while only firing four in return.
A win would also be the ultimate confidence booster for Arteta’s charges ahead of a mouth-watering Premier League clash against title-bidding Liverpool.
Liverpool [Premier League, H] – 27/10/2024
Jurgen Klopp is now part of Anfield history, but his legacy continues to live in the wake of his sudden departure, making Arsenal no idle threat under new boss Arne Slot.
Except for a shock 1-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest, the Reds have won their remaining five competitive outings this season via multi-goal margins, testifying to Slot’s seamless adaptation to the new surroundings.
The Dutchman oversaw a thumping 3-0 win against Manchester United in his first high-profile Premier League game, showing he can handle the pressure when the stakes are high.
If Arsenal can knock Liverpool off their perch, it would not only erase the memory of the Etihad disappointment but reaffirm their title credentials.
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