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Perhaps unsurprisingly, social media has been lively in the aftermath of yesterday's match...particularly from the Arsenal camp.

Lots have been critical of Mikel Arteta's tactics, and the mentality of the manager and his players.

'WelBeast' said on X that Mikel Arteta is 'sticking with a midfield that is not working' and called for Eberechi Eze to start whilst Martin Odegaard is injured.

Elsewhere, Lee Gunner, who is known to be critical of Arteta on X, was unhappy with Gabriel Martinelli's reaction after scoring the equaliser - he says the fact he celebrated instead of taking the ball back to the halfway line 'sums up everything wrong with the club' under Arteta.

Are these fair criticisms?

Ben Ramsdale
BBC Sport

This is the type of content I need more of on a Monday morning.

Thanks, Harv.

When Arsenal did eventually manage to score, Gabriel Martinelli put away one of their most difficult chances.

The Brazil winger made it two goals in as many games from the bench, lifting a through-ball from fellow sub Eberechi Eze over the giant frame of Gianluigi Donnarumma in the Manchester City goal to claim a 93rd-minute equaliser.

It was a brilliant, improvised finish from a chance that had an xG of just 0.2.

Arsenal

The fact we had any goals at Emirates Stadium on Sunday was a blessing as both sides seemed to cancel each other out.

Arsenal are usually strong from set-pieces, especially corners. They had 11 corners against City but produced very little in the way of attacking threat - ending the game with an xG of 0.39 from set plays.

Of the home side's 12 shots, only three were on target all afternoon.

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Arsenal's good run against Manchester City actually extends to six matches, if you include the 2023-24 Community Shield, which ended 1-1 and the Gunners won on penalties.

You have to go back to April 2023 for their last loss.

In the 2022-23 season, Mikel Arteta's side fell to three damaging defeats against City.

They lost 4-1 at the Etihad in the season run-in, as their title challenge faltered, and 3-1 in the corresponding fixture in February that breathed new life into City's own title aspirations.

City also claimed a 1-0 win at home to the Gunners in the fifth round of the FA Cup that season.

Arsenal's recent results against Man City:

2025-26

• Sep - Arsenal 1-1 Man City

2024-25

• Feb - Arsenal 5-1 Man City
• Sep - Man City 2-2 Arsenal

2023-24

• Mar - Man City 0-0 Arsenal
• Oct - Arsenal 1-0 Man City
• Aug - Arsenal 1-1 Man City - Arsenal won 4-1 on penalties (Community Shield)

2022-23

• Apr - Man City 4-1 Arsenal
• Feb - Arsenal 1-3 Man City
• Jan - Man City 1-0 Arsenal (FA Cup fifth round)

Arsenal

Image source, Getty Images

Mikel Arteta may have been criticised for being too cautious with his initial team selection against Manchester City, but Sunday's draw continued Arsenal's rich vein of form against Pep Guardiola's side.

Arteta is the first manager to avoid defeat in five consecutive league games against a Guardiola side.

The Gunners have now won twice and drawn three of their last five against City in the Premier League.

Told you it was going to be a jam-packed one today, didn't I?

Here's a look at what we've been discussing since we kicked things off this morning:

• Finishers make mark but questions for Areta over selection
• "We dominated every aspect of the game" - Arteta
• But Man City manager Pep Guardiola disagrees, saying "the result is fair"
• Draw could prove "a big point" for Arsenal - Sutton
• Arsenal possession is not equating to chances
• "Arsenal's bench was better than the starting XI" - Bothroyd
• And, the best of your reaction from today's discussion so far...

Ben Ramsdale
BBC Sport

Active this morning you lot, aren't you?

More so than me who's onto his third brew of the day already.

Thanks for all your messages so far, though. Sue perb interaction.

We'll have a little recap of what's been happening for you later risers and then get more into this Arsenal debrief.

We'll then jump into dissecting City's performance a little later on.

Arsenal

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta explained after the match why he made a double substitution at half-time, saying Bukayo Saka was sent on because of an injury to Noni Madueke, while Eberechi Eze for Mikel Merino was a tactical change.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "It was necessary, the one with Noni because of an injury, and for Ebs too because of the way they started to play and behave and where we could find the spaces. We believed that he could be the player to make the difference for us. Again, very happy with the finishers."

On finding the right balance in the team and giving his whole squad chances to play: "At top clubs all the managers have this. Today we did not have Odegaard, Saka was just back, no [Gabriel] Jesus, no [Kai] Havvertz, so a lot of players, but it was still hard.

"We are going to need everybody. Today, again, we see the players that did not start in Bilbao how well they did - [William] Saliba and [Leandro] Trossard, both of them were very good. So many games, we are going to need everybody."

Mikel Arteta had no choice but to throw on more attacking players in the second half as his Arsenal side chased an equaliser at home to Manchester City.

But did the Gunners boss start too cautiously?

The Spaniard began the game with three defensively-minded central midfielders in Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Mikel Merino.

Arsenal's starting XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Merino, Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Gyokeres, Trossard

Eberichi Eze replaced Merino at the start of the second half in a double substitution that also saw Noni Madueke make way for Bukayo Saka on his return from injury.

With 10 minutes remaining, Arteta sacrificed right-back Jurrien Timber for eventual goalscorer Gabriel Martinelli, while Leandro Trossard was replaced by Ethan Nwaneri four minutes later.

In the eighth minute of stoppage time, Arteta reverted to four defenders, replacing Zubimendi with Christian Mosquera.

Arsenal's finishing XI: Raya; Saliba, Gabriel, Mosquera, Calafiori; Martinelli, Rice, Eze, Nwaneri, Saka; Gyokeres

Image source, Getty Images

Jay Bothroyd
Former Premier League striker on BBC 5 Live Breakfast

You sign players like [Eberechi] Eze so we can come and lay it up. He's got fantastic ability, he can dribble, he's a ball carrier, he's strong, we can see his quality, so I think everyone was disappointed to see that [he didn't start].

But also the midfield, Declan Rice is a fantastic player - he's our leader but really with [Martin] Zubimendi and [Mikel] Merino you've got three number 6's - you want to see the attacking players on there. Our bench was better than our starting eleven.

I feel like he needs to be more attacking. If Arsenal are going to win the league this year, it has to be because Arsenal are on the front foot going to beat teams.

I feel like with big teams, Arteta goes out with the mindset of not to lose and I feel like that's a negative.

The question is, did Mikel Arteta get his initial team selection wrong?

With captain and playmaker Martin Odegaard out injured, should the Arsenal boss have started with Eberchi Eze, rather than Mikel Merino, who Eze replaced at half-time.

Should Arteta have started with the more creative Eze in midfield?

Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard changed the game when they were introduced as second-half substitutes in Arsenal's midweek Champions League win over Athletic Club in Bilbao.

Trossard was given the nod to start against Manchester City, with Martinelli only introduced 10 minutes from time.

Was Arteta right to hold Martinelli back, given that the Brazil winger went on to score his second in as many games coming off the bench?

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