ART OF NOT CONCEDING

Arsenal tough it out with defensive masterclass as City fail to score at home for first time in 47 matches

- JOHN CROSS

AT THE final whistle, Mikel Arteta led the Arsenal players across to the away end to celebrate with the travelling support.

In contrast, Pep Guardiola trudged off the pitch scratching his worried brow after a pretty woeful stalemate at the Etihad.

You could almost hear the cheers from down the M62 as a draw definitely makes it advantage Liverpool in the three-horse title race. But it was Arsenal who will be much happier with the result at the Etihad and it also felt like something of a turning point for boss Arteta.

Arsenal had lost all seven. previous visits to City in the Premier League - conceding 21 goals in the process - and decided to park the bus the time.

Gunners centre-halves. William Saliba and Gabriel were magnificent throughout, limiting City to just one effort on target when Nathan Ake should have scored but fluffed an early header straight to keeper David Raya. Arsenal hardly threatened at all but in terms of progression as a team it felt like a major step forward with a mature, solid controlled performance which kept City at arm's length.