Finishers to the rescue: Martinelli crowns Arsenal’s late surge against Manchester City

Arsenal refused to be beaten. Trailing since the ninth minute to Erling Haaland’s counter-punch, Mikel Arteta emptied his bench and trusted the ‘finishers’ he has championed. In the 93rd minute, Eberechi Eze lofted a pass into space and Gabriel Martinelli, ice-cold, met it with a deft outside‑of‑the‑boot lift over Gianluigi Donnarumma to spark delirium and a 1-1 draw at the Emirates.

It was the second time in five days that Martinelli changed a game off the bench after his goal-and-assist cameo in Bilbao. The comeback owed much to Arsenal’s second‑half intensity and Arteta’s willingness to go all‑or‑nothing against a City side that retreated into a rarely seen, deep‑lying block.

Caution first, questions later

Arteta set up with a muscular midfield of Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Mikel Merino, with Ødegaard unavailable, and chose Leandro Trossard over Eze on the left. The idea of control was clear, but the early story belonged to Haaland, who won the ball, combined with Tijjani Reijnders and slid a low finish past David Raya.

Arsenal’s first half never quite caught fire. There were a handful of corners and a flashing near‑post attempt by Noni Madueke that Donnarumma beat away, yet City’s press forced mistakes and the crowd’s impatience grew. It echoed the criticism that followed the loss at Liverpool: control without incision.

Saka and Eze ignite the afternoon

The restart brought the spark. Eze replaced Merino and Bukayo Saka returned for Madueke, instantly raising Arsenal’s tempo and ambition. Zubimendi skied one from the edge; Eze drove a fierce half‑volley that Donnarumma parried; the Emirates sensed a shift as City sank deeper and deeper.

There was peril in transition — Jérémy Doku sprinted menacingly — and in the 57th minute Haaland burst clear from Doku’s pass with Phil Foden unmarked, only for Raya to block the striker’s shot. It felt like the moment the game tilted toward Arsenal’s persistence.

Arteta gambles, Emirates roars

Chasing the game, Arteta doubled down. He moved to a back three, withdrawing Jurriën Timber for Martinelli, and later introduced Ethan Nwaneri as an extra central attacker, essentially a 3-2-4-1 that screamed intent. Territory became total; City formed a blue barricade with bodies behind the ball.

Guardiola leaned into containment — Nathan Ake on for Phil Foden to make a back five, later Haaland withdrawn for holding midfielder Nico Gonzalez with Doku pushed centrally — but Arsenal kept chipping away, probing for the pass that would finally slice the line.

Martinelli’s moment, again

It came in stoppage time. From deep, Eze saw Martinelli curve his run behind a tiring defence and clipped a perfect lob over the top. Martinelli’s touch was velvet; the outside of his right boot lifted the ball over Donnarumma and into the far corner, a finish that distilled composure and daring.

The Brazilian’s cameo mirrored his Bilbao brilliance and recalled his substitute winner against City in October 2023. Declan Rice summed it up: Martinelli “always delivers in big moments.” For Arteta, who has repeatedly extolled the value of his bench, it was vindication.

Pride, lessons, and the path ahead

Arteta said he was proud of how Arsenal “dominated” much of the contest even if the outcome disappointed. The critique remains clear: Arsenal must translate possession into open‑play chances more consistently — a point Jamie Carragher underlined when highlighting their lack of incision in these early weeks.

Even so, the point matters. It keeps Arsenal within striking distance of the leaders and extends Arteta’s unbeaten sequence against Guardiola to five matches. More importantly, it reinforces a growing truth about this squad: when the finishers arrive, Arsenal carry a different kind of threat.