Positives & negatives from Arsenal 1-1 Manchester City

Positive #2: Gabriel Martinelli was the difference-maker

Martinelli looks more like himself after adding to his clutch cameo against Athletic Bilbao with another late, late show to save Arsenal. This is the Martinelli of old, a difference-maker at the business end of the pitch.

The difference this time came when the 24-year-old made a clever and angled run to beat an unncecessarily high City line. Once he'd raced clear, the wheels were still turning upstairs for Martinelli, who ad-libbed a deft touch over a woefully stranded Donnarumma.

This was the kind of cool, calm, collected and classy finish Martinelli produced for fun early in his senior career. His star has faded somewhat since, but he still has a lot to offer a team always searching for that little something extra in the final third.

The search intensified against City when Arsenal's main man up top struggled to assert himself.

Negative #2: Viktor Gyökeres starved of service

Arsenal didn't part with up to £63 million for Gyökeres to be anoymous in big matches, but that's just what happened against City. The prolific Swede was missing in action for large chunks of the game, desperately denied anything remotely resembling credible service.

Gyökeres isn't an island. He needs support to thrive. Nor is the 27-year-old the type of striker who will make something out of a fortunate bounce or rare touch.

What Gyökeres needs is supply. The kind of supply an astute passer could provde by sliding the right ball into the channels. Equally, the right low cross or well-timed pull-back can work for a frontman whose instincts rarely fail him close to and around the penalty spot.

There isn't a problem with Gyökeres' application or movement. The issue lies within the makeup of a team shorn of an incisive provider when Martin Odegaard isn't on the pitch. A team also lacking the fluidity and pace off the ball to bring free-flowing attacking patterns to life.

Without those things, it doesn't matter who plays striker. Fortunately, Arsenal do have a player capable of conjuring the magic too often missing from the forward line.