Premier League 2023: Martinelli's late goal seals Arsenal's thrilling win over Manchester City
In a thrilling Premier League encounter, Arsenal emerged victorious over Manchester City thanks to a late goal by Gabriel Martinelli in the 86th minute. The Brazilian forward's strike proved to be the difference-maker in a closely contested battle between the two top-tier teams.
FollowGabriel Martinelli scored the winning goal for Arsenal, propelling them into a joint-top position in the Premier League after a hard-fought victory over reigning champions Manchester City. Manchester City had two golden opportunities to seize an early lead within the first five minutes. Josko Gvardiol's volley was miraculously cleared off the line, followed by Nathan Ake's missed chance from eight yards out. Arsenal's goalkeeper, David Raya, found himself in a tricky situation when Julian Alvarez closed him down, causing Raya's clearance to rebound off the Argentine and narrowly miss the side-netting.
As the match progressed, Arsenal grew into the game, with Eddie Nketiah narrowly missing the target with a shot from the edge of the penalty area. The Gunners also believed they had a case for a Mateo Kovacic red card after a late challenge on Martin Odegaard, but VAR ultimately cleared the foul upon review.
An uneventful second half seemed destined for a goalless draw as both teams neutralized each other. However, Mikel Arteta's side had one final surprise in store. A long ball aimed at substitute Kai Havertz seemed to have been dealt with by the City defense, but it fell perfectly into the path of Martinelli at the edge of the box. Martinelli unleashed a right-footed first-time shot that took a wicked deflection off Ake on its way into the back of the net.
This victory marked Arsenal's first win over the reigning champions in 13 meetings, propelling them level on 20 points at the top of the table alongside their north London rivals, Tottenham.
