3 positives & negatives from Arsenal's 2-2 draw at Man City

Arsenal overcame plenty to earn a point at the home of the champions, Manchester City, on Sunday, with the Gunners only being denied all three points by a last-gasp John Stones strike.

The 2-2 draw means the Gunners remain in the thick of the Premier League title race thanks to a wonder strike from summer signing Riccardo Calafiori, to go with a now customary Gabriel Magalhaes header from a corner. Only Stones' stoppage-time equaliser dampened the day.

Both goals typified some of the main positives from what was ultimately a profitable visit to Manchester for Arsenal. Rugged full-back play and subtle set-piece strategy gave the Gunners the edge over an opponent dominant and more fluid on the ball.

The negatives concern Trossard's moment of madness. It was a reckless lapse of judgement only mitigated by Arsenal's ongoing and partly merited sense of injustice at the inconsistency among referees this season.

3 positives & negatives from Arsenal's 2-2 draw at Man City

Positive #1: Arsenal's faultless full-backs

Ben White could be forgiven for feeling aggrieved when he was omitted from the starting XI, but he's likely to feel worse after watching how Jurrien Timber fared in his stead. Especially when Timber's performance was combined with Calafiori's eye-catching first impression.

White may not get back into the team when everybody is fully fit because Timber and Calafiori were faultless at the Etihad. Timber was typically all rough and tumble, pressing Jeremy Doku and buffeting the out-of-sorts winger until City hooked him in the second half.

Calafiori added more of a flourish thanks to his peach of a strike to cancel out Haaland's goal.

As goals for Arsenal left-backs go, Nigel Winterburn and Sylvinho would be proud. Older fans and those who love their history will know....

Calafiori also stood up well to the not-inconsiderable challenge posed by City's Brazilian livewire Savinho. The latter won the battle to create his side's first goal, but Calafiori never shied away from the fight and won his fair share of duels.

The Italian was forced off during the second half, but Arsenal should hope it's nothing serious because Calafiori already looks he belongs as a fixture of Mikel Arteta's best eleven.

Negative #1: Leandro Trossard's brain-fart

There was plenty of controversy about the red card, and some rancour is justified, but ultimately, Trossard nearly cost his team dearly with idiotic behaviour. Jumping into a needless challenge deep into first-half stoppage time when he was already on a yellow card was foolhardy.

Giving away the free-kick might have been Trossard's only punishment, but whacking the ball almost a pitch length's clear was mind-boggling. Again, Trossard was already booked when he made both of these reckless decisions.

The ultimate reasoning for the second yellow, kicking the ball away, is naturally a sore spot after Declan Rice and Brighton, and more on that later, but honestly, Trossard walked himself into this one.

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