Pep Guardiola's side may have rescued a point against the Gunners, but the loss of the midfielder could prove hugely damaging long-term
And breathe. After last season's rather lifeless affairs, many expected Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta to serve up another drab 'showdown' on Sunday as Manchester City hosted the team many expect to be their closest title rivals yet again, Arsenal. What took place, however, was a breathless game that had pretty much everything, and that ended in a 2-2 draw after John Stones' dramatic, stoppage-time equaliser.
It's a result that both teams can be happy with. City were on the cusp of suffering a first Premier League loss at home since November 2022, and given they played the whole second half against 10 men, they would have fancied themselves to turn the game around after the break and move five points clear of the Gunners.
Arsenal, meanwhile, held firm after Leandro Trossard's frustrating red card as they produced an outstanding defensive rearguard against wave after wave of City attacks, and the fact they came away with a point given the circumstances should be celebrated, despite the heart-breaking ending to the match from their perspective.
And yet amongst all of that, perhaps the most important moment in terms of the destination of this season's title came all the way back in the 20th minute, when Rodri limped from the field after going down holding his knee inside his own penalty area while defending a corner. The Ballon d'Or contender looked in serious pain as he writhed on the floor, and a potentially long absence could leave City vulnerable given Rodri's importance to Guardiola's machine.
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the Etihad Stadium…
Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPWINNER: John Stones
Back in January 2019, City hosted Liverpool in a game between the two main contenders for the Premier League title. Guardiola's side eventually ran out 2-1 winners, but only after Stones produced a remarkable goalline clearance that went on to life in infamy on Merseyside.
Over five-and-a-half years later, and at the same end of the Etihad, Stones produced another vital intervention in a game between the top two teams in England, as he managed to poke home a finish after the ball bounced around the Arsenal penalty area.
Stones was thrown on in the 78th minute and told to play alongside Erling Haaland as City chased the game, and in truth made little impression on the game before his stoppage-time strike. However, the England international was in the right place at the right time to ensure the game finished all square and that City stay top of the early table.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportLOSER: Leandro Trossard
What was Trossard thinking?! If any team knew the dangers of kicking the ball away after the referee has given a free-kick, it was Arsenal after Declan Rice's controversial red card against Brighton. Thus, it's hard to have any sympathy for the Belgium international after he picked up a second yellow card for exactly the same offence in first-half stoppage time here.
Yes, the Gunners have a point when they point out that Jeremy Doku wasn't punished for doing the exact same thing earlier in the game, just as they did with Joao Pedro in the Brighton game. But, like Rice, Trossard gave referee Michael Oliver a reason to book him, and so it's hard to have any complaints about the decision in a vacuum.
Trossard's dismissal left Arsenal in a perilous position, and the forward should be so grateful to his team-mates that they didn't fold in his absence, as they would have been forgiven for doing given the circumstances.
Getty Images SportWINNER: Arsenal's defence
Arsenal's defence has long been heralded as the best in the Premier League, but the Gunners backline took things to another level on Sunday with one of the more remarkable rearguards of recent times. That they couldn't hold out until the very end shouldn't go against them, as each and every one of them was heroic in their own right.
At the heart of it, as always, were William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, who regularly put their bodies on the line to block shots and make challenges, while they were able to be matches for Haaland from a physical point of view, too.
Outside them, Jurrien Timber locked down Jeremy Doku, Riccardo Calafiori eventually got to grips to the tricky Savinho and Ben White came on at half-time and played through an injury to try keep City's super-powered attack at bay. David Raya, meanwhile, maintained his superb early-season form with some fine saves and excellent command of his penalty area.
Factor in that Calafiori and Gabriel scored the Arsenal goals, and this was a banner day for the Gunners defence. That they didn't win the game was a crying shame.
Getty Images SportLOSER: Rodri
Rodri's long unbeaten league run was maintained by Stones' equaliser on Sunday, but the defender's goal will have likely done little to lift his stricken team-mate's mood given the potentially devastating injury blow the Spain international suffered in the early stages of the showdown with the Gunners.
The 28-year-old actually found himself in the wars in the opening seconds of the game, as he was clattered by Kai Havertz straight from the kick-off as the Gunners forward looked to chase a long ball over the top. Replays were inconclusive in terms of just how much Havertz meant to collide with Rodri, but the City star was certainly shaken up by the coming together.
Less than 20 minutes later, Rodri's afternoon was officially over as he looked to jar his knee in the ground as he made a near-post run from a corner and tripped over Thomas Partey. The Ghanaian wasn't to blame for the incident as Rodri seemed to injure himself in his landing, but the sight of him visibly shaking in pain was one no City fan wanted to see.
Should Rodri be absent for a prolonged period of time, then City will likely face the biggest test of their credentials since they began their four-year title run. Guardiola's side lost three of the four games Rodri missed last season, and while Mateo Kovacic is a decent replacement, his limitations were on show during his 70 minutes on the pitch here.