Stones snags last-gasp goal as Gunners rue sending off

It was the last kick of a ball by a Manchester City player, John Stones latching on to the rebound after Jakub Kiwior had flung himself into the path of Mateo Kovacic’s shot, just beating the heroic David Raya.

- RICHARD JOLLY

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.