Arsenal 1-1 Man City: Why Mikel Arteta has no reason to celebrate broken record after Gabriel Martinelli heroics

On September 22, 2024, Arsenal led 2-1 away to Manchester City in the Premier League. Mikel Arteta's 10 men had their backs against the wall, were seconds away from travelling home with an invaluable victory, only to concede an agonising, messy equaliser with virtually the last kick of the game.

On September 21, 2025, Man City led 1-0 away at Arsenal. Pep Guardiola's side defended in a Jose Mourinho-esque manager we have seldom seen from any of the Catalan's teams and were oh so close to gleaning the maximum prize, only for Gabriel Martinelli to pop up yet again.

The Brazilian haunted the Citizens at the Emirates in October 2023, gave Athletic Bilbao nightmares in the Champions League in midweek, and prolonged his super sub arc with a brilliant finish over Gianluigi Donnarumma in Sunday's 1-1 stalemate with the Sky Blues.

Unbeaten against his master since the end of the 2022-23 season, Arsenal boss Arteta has now written a new chapter of history, becoming the first manager to ever avoid defeat in five straight games against a Guardiola side in league football.

Based on the explosive Emirates celebrations, one might be forgiven for thinking that Sunday's result was one point gained rather than two dropped for the Gunners. But they would be wrong, and Arteta has no reason to celebrate his unprecedented feat.

Arsenal 1-1 Man City: Arteta selection mistakes laid bare in tepid first half

Gunners captain Martin Odegaard teased a potential return from a shoulder injury in his pre-match programme notes, but the Norwegian ultimately failed to make the cut, leaving Arteta with three possible solutions to replace his stricken skipper. He picked the one that had already failed twice.

Mikel Merino is a fabulous finisher when he gets a sniff in and around the penalty area. But Liverpool and Athletic Bilbao showed that Spain's recent hat-trick hero is not a creative force to behold a la Odegaard, Ethan Nwaneri or Eberechi Eze, making Arteta's decision to persist with that experiment a truly baffling one.

Forgetting Erling Haaland's brilliant breakaway goal for a moment, there were two occasions in the first half when Merino dallied on the ball and was robbed of possession, while he only generated 0.03 Expected Assists (xA) as Arsenal toiled on the ball for what seemed like an eternity.

Granted, City's unorthodox defensive shape made penetration difficult, and Arteta perhaps did not foresee his erstwhile sensei going against his own philosophy in such a manner, hence his decision to go for physical assertiveness over playmaking acumen when selecting his midfield triumvirate.

However, as 68% possession translated into just 0.35 Expected Goals for the Gunners - who have become increasingly risk-averse since the uncontrolled chaos of 2022-23 and 2023-24 - Arteta's decision to keep faith in Merino was not justified, and an experiment he must surely now do away with.

A penny for the thoughts of Nwaneri, who was surely promised a clear pathway to the first team when he committed to a new long-term contract and whom Arteta has no problem throwing on for Odegaard in-game, but for whatever reason, he cannot get a look-in from the start when his captain is sidelined.

Arteta demands a lot off the ball from whoever starts in the trident - namely leading the press - but Arsenal are normally exceptional off the ball no matter the personnel. The Spaniard needs players who excel on the ball.

By swapping out Merino for eventual difference-maker Eberechi Eze at half time, Arteta silently admitted that he got his starting selection wrong.

Arsenal 1-1 Man City: Riccardo Calafiori statistic tells story of Gunners' attacking troubles

All the while, Man City had decided that they were perfectly content to hold what they had at the Emirates, seemingly satisfied that Arsenal's well-documented struggles to create from open play would rear their ugly heads and prevent Donnarumma from picking the ball out of the back of his own net.

After the first three games of the 2025-26 season, only Sunderland (1.29) had a lower Expected Goals (xG) total from open play than Arsenal (1.57), whose formerly trusty set-piece routines also failed time and time again; mainly thanks to Donnarumma's Mr. Tickle-like reach and Josko Gvardiol being in the right place at the right time.

Arteta's changes at least injected some life into the Arsenal side, who were ironically the victims of the 'dark arts' that critics usually have a pop at Arteta for; from Donnarumma taking his sweet time over goal kicks to the Gunners boss complaining over the length of time it took the visitors on throw-ins.

Arteta is in no position to take the moral high ground there; even when Arsenal were losing in the first half, Declan Rice customarily ambled over to take a corner, while Phil Foden could at least afford a light jog over to the same flag when his side were leading in the second 45.

Guardiola channelling his inner Mourinho contributed to Man City having a paltry 32.8% of the ball - the Catalan coach's lowest-ever figure in a top-flight managerial game - but they could largely breathe easy if this telling Riccardo Calafiori statistic was anything to go by.

According to Squawka, the left-back had seven touches in the Man City box on Sunday - more than any other Arsenal player. Viktor Gyokeres was starved of service again, Noni Madueke was quintessentially eye-catching without the efficiency, and Leandro Trossard's super-sub display in midweek did not translate into a stellar performance from the start.

In the end, route-one football was the ticket for Arsenal to avoid an agonising defeat, as Eze harnessed his creative nous with a delightful long ball for Martinelli, who then capitalised on Donnarumma being in no man's land.

Going unbeaten against Man City in five straight games would normally be a praiseworthy feat, but to only just scrape a draw against a Man City side with 32.8% of the ball - while you got your initial team selection wrong - exposes more failings than it does shine a light on resilience or a never-say-die attitude.

Liverpool are the Premier League champions. The champions have continually found ways to win when not playing at their best this season. That is why they are champions.

Arsenal have not, and that is why they will not be, unless Arteta finally takes the handbrake off when the first whistle blows.