By Peter Hall
LONDON (Reuters) – Substitute Gabriel Martinelli fired a last-gasp winner to hand Arsenal a 1-0 victory over Manchester City on Sunday, a result that moves Mikel Arteta’s side level on points with North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the top of the Premier League.
City had the better of the chances in the first half, with Arsenal’s Declan Rice clearing off the line early on to keep the champions at bay, as the hosts failed to register a shot on target in the opening period.
Arsenal upped the tempo after the break but still lacked that killer instinct in attack, with City still creating the better openings even if their Premier League top scorer Erling Haaland was kept quiet all afternoon.
The game appeared to be edging towards a stalemate before Martinelli struck four minutes from time, with a deflection off City defender Nathan Ake taking the ball past keeper Ederson.
The goal sparked wild celebrations at the Emirates, as Arsenal moved above City into second place on 20 points, two above the champions, and trailing Spurs only on goals scored.
(Reporting by Peter Hall; editing by Ken Ferris)
