Arsenal struggled with 10 men to hold on for a 2-2 draw against Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday.
The north London side looked set for a win over the reigning Premier League champions, opting to deploy defensive tactics to hang on to their 2-1 lead, before John Stones fired his side into the net in the 98th minute to gift City a late point. .
The Gunners were forced to settle for a draw but could be proud of their ability to defend well for most of the second half.
Here are two winners and one loser from Arsenal’s draw with City, according to 90 minutes beloved player ratings.
David Ray: 9/10
arsenal Shooter David Raya deserves his flowers for his performance against City. His team spent most of the final 45 minutes camped out in front of their goal, but never let go in that phase and instead put their team through time and time again.
Raya made several crucial saves to prevent City from taking the lead, making the right decisions inside the box to become a rock between Arsenal’s back line.
He took immense pressure off his defenders by going out for crosses and getting involved when the ball reached dangerous positions. Raya performed in a confident and composed manner, leading the backline to demonstrate a defensive masterclass for much of the clash.
Had it not been between the posts, City could have run away with the lead.
Honorable Mention
Jurrien Timber: 8/10
Jurrien Timber had an outstanding game against City, becoming an aggressive and proactive member of the Gunners team.
He was up front at every possible opportunity and kept the likes of Jeremy Doku calm with his ability to dominate the innings.
If Mikel Arteta could have cut through his ideal defender, it would have been Timber in this game. The versatile star thrived in both attack and defense as the Gunners battled to a deserved win.
Leandro Trossard: 3/10
Leandro Trossard let his side down when he decided to throw the ball on unnecessarily, a hot topic in the Arsenal midfield anyway, after a foul on Bernardo Silva.
Whether you think his sending off was fair or not, his decision to act carelessly in a vital match affected his teammates, who were forced to spend the rest of the match with their backs against the wall to defend their leadership
With Arteta’s injury crisis mounting, acts like this from his players will not go down well.
