Arsenal were seconds away from a statement win, from a seismic victory. Instead, a 98th-minute goal extended City’s unbeaten run at home to 48 games. Their gap to Arsenal remained at two points. After extraordinary drama, nothing changed. And yet, at various points, in different ways, it felt as though everything had.
As Arsenal’s previous trip to the Etihad Stadium brought a 0-0 draw, the scoreline may not suggest they produced a defensive masterclass. Yet they did: a magnificent rearguard action almost brought the ultimate reward, in the sort of result that would reshape a season. As it was, they channelled the spirit of George Graham’s sides in an epic display of obduracy, only to receive a reminder that even when City feel uninspired – and perhaps because Arsenal made them look uninspired – the Gunners still couldn’t kill them off.
This story is from the September 23, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the September 23, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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