It is what is called getting your substitutions right. As Mikel Arteta luxuriated in his first win over Manchester City as a manager, one to enhance seriously the title prospects of his Arsenal team, he could reflect on how his stars had aligned after a triple change on 76 minutes.
For so long, it looked as though it could be another refereeing story. Nobody knows how this showpiece would have panned out if Mateo Kovacic had been sent off in the 35th minute. But Arsenal would have liked to find out.
The Manchester City midfielder was a lucky boy. Already booked for a terrible tackle on Martin Ødegaard, Kovacic was playing with fire when he stretched in on Declan Rice to commit a clear foul. Rather than wave a second yellow card, which felt inevitable, the referee, Michael Oliver, allowed Kovacic to stay on.
Arsenal rode out the storm. Arteta had already sent on the fit-again Gabriel Martinelli at the start of the second half and his big move was to introduce Thomas Partey, also back to fitness, plus Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kai Havertz in one go. It was the trio who linked up to create the opening for Martinelli towards the very end and how he took it.
It was Partey’s long ball, Tomiyasu’s header and Havertz’s layoff. And when Martinelli shot, it deflected wickedly off Nathan Aké’s forehead to sink City. Arsenal had lost their previous 12 games against the champions in this competition and they knew they needed an overdue statement. They got it, Martinelli blowing a cagey game open to spark delirium and even a bit of aggro in the tunnel after the full-time whistle.
The pre-match sense had been that it might be a good time for Arsenal to face City, who were missing the suspended Rodri for a third game; they had lost the previous two. Pep Guardiola knew the numbers. Before this one, City had lost five of 15 in the league without Rodri, compared with just 13% with him. It would end up being another tale of frustration for them.
Gabriel Martinelli’s shot takes a deflection off Manchester City’s Nathan Aké (centre) and heads goalwards for Arsenal’s winner. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
How would Guardiola set up without Rodri – and in the continued absence of the injured Kevin De Bruyne? The answer was by starting Bernardo Silva in front of the back four in a kind of Andrea Pirlo role, except with more running. Guardiola had begun with Silva at left-back here last season. His trust in the player’s ability to read the game and his bravery on the ball is absolute. Silva barely missed a beat, although he was late into Gabriel Jesus for a 23rd-minute yellow card.
Arsenal needed time to work things out, especially without the injured Bukayo Saka, who they could not patch up and send out yet again. It was the first time in 88 league games that they were without him. City almost landed the early blow, Josko Gvardiol hooking a corner goalwards from the far post and watching Declan Rice head clear off the line. On the second phase, Erling Haaland flicked on for Aké, who took a touch and lifted high from close range.
Liam Brady was the pre-match guest and he was asked how excited he was. “I’m nervous,” the Arsenal legend replied. So were the home crowd at the outset, especially when David Raya looked to play out from the back and into City’s high press. The goalkeeper had already shanked one clearance when he dallied close to his line and was tackled by Julián Álvarez, the ball squirting just wide of the near post. A let-off.
City enjoyed theirs with Kovacic and it was an extraordinary one. His booking for clattering into Ødegaard’s ankle was in dark-orange territory. There was a VAR check for a possible red card; the Croat got away with it, which was just about the right decision.
But what about when he lunged into Rice, after Raya had passed out to him and Arsenal tried to build? It looked a stonewall second yellow. “You don’t know what you’re doing,” the home crowd informed Oliver.
The tensions simmered, taking in the moment during the interval when Samir Nasri, working here as a media pundit, was aggressively accosted by an Arsenal fan in one of the concourses. What happened? “Just a guy who spoke shit because I left Arsenal,” Nasri replied. The man was ejected from the ground.
With Jorginho in midfield, Rice had the licence to push up when Arsenal had possession. Martinelli for the ineffective Leandro Trossard at half-time also felt promising. The individual duels pounded, particularly William Saliba v Haaland. The Arsenal support wanted Raya to play faster and longer, at times.
The second half came to feel locked, chances at a premium. Guardiola’s triple change on 68 minutes meant the fit-again John Stones, Matheus Nunes and Jérémy Doku replaced Rico Lewis, Kovacic and Álvarez. Stones went into defensive midfield, Silva to the right-sided No 8 role. Kalvin Phillips looked on from the bench; another tough day for the England midfielder. It was Arteta’s response that changed everything.
