The startling numbers behind Man City’s second-half siege of Arsenal’s goal
Arsenal produced a remarkable defensive performance to secure a spirited point at Manchester City, with Mikel Arteta’s side playing the entire second half with 10 men.
John Stones eventually struck a 98th-minute equaliser for City, who had totally dominated the game following the red card shown to Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard.
Here, Telegraph Sport lays out the astonishing stats numbers behind Arsenal’s extraordinary defensive stand.
324
City completed 324 passes in the final third of the pitch in the second half. Arsenal, by contrast, completed just 21 passes in City’s third.
100
Erling Haaland’s goal was his 100th in all competitions for City. He needed 105 games to reach the century.
98
City’s equaliser, scored by John Stones in the 98th minute, was their latest goal scored on record in a Premier League match.
51
Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya had 51 touches in the match, the most of any Arsenal player.
41
City had 41 touches in Arsenal’s penalty box in the second half, compared to Arsenal’s three.
33
City took 33 shots over the course of the match, the most of any team in a Premier League match this season.
28
City scored through Stones with their 28th shot of the second half. Only once has a Premier League team ever taken more shots in a single half — City’s 34 against Queens Park Rangers to win the league in 2012.
22
Arsenal had only 22 per cent of possession (and just 12.5 per cent of possession in the second half), the second-lowest figure on record in a Premier League game. They had 20 per cent against City in a 5-0 defeat in August 2021.
17
Since Mikel Arteta was appointed in December 2019, Arsenal have had 17 red cards in the Premier League — at least four more than any other club.
7
City have won seven points from losing positions this season, the most of any Premier League team.
5
Arsenal attempted only five shots in the game, their lowest total of the season so far.
5
City defender Ruben Dias took five shots (only Erling Haaland took more), but hit the target with just one of those shots.
1
Myles Lewis-Skelly, Arsenal’s teenaged substitute, was shown a yellow card in the Premier League before making his debut in the competition.
0
Neither Jurrien Timber nor Kai Havertz completed any of their passes against City. They the first outfield players on record (since the 2003-04 season) to play 90 minutes of a Premier League match and not successfully pass to a team-mate.
Arsenal and City’s average positions in the second half show how Mikel Arteta’s side were able to totally block their third of the pitch.
How Arsenal managed to stand firm until the 98th minute
No strikers: 5-4-0
Arteta’s response to Trossard’s red card was to remove his best attacker, Bukayo Saka, in favour of another defender: Ben White. Havertz then moved to the right side of a midfield four, with Arsenal deploying a 5-4-0 formation.
The plan seemed to be to counter attack down the flanks with Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli, but the reality of the occasion meant that both of those players were far more preoccupied with their defensive duties than with any offensive ambition.
Arsenal’s back five in these moments consisted of (from right to left): Timber, White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori.
Pack the penalty box
Arsenal’s defensive players had no intention of leaving their positions near their own goal, while central midfielders Declan Rice and Thomas Partey also stayed close. Arsenal were compact throughout the second half, challenging City to find a way through a packed 18-yard box.
In the second half, City played 15 crosses into the penalty area but each of them was cleared away by one of the many bodies in red and white. Between them, Arsenal’s defensive players made a total of 23 clearances across the match. Arsenal’s midfielders, meanwhile, made 13 clearances.
Use Raya to draw the sting
No player did more to disrupt the rhythm of the game than Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya, who produced another hugely impressive performance in goal. Raya made nine saves in total and pushed the rules to the limit by taking his time whenever he could. At one point, he held onto the ball for more than 20 seconds before clearing it upfield.
Raya has been arguably Arsenal’s best player so far this season, with the Spaniard producing a series of sensational saves over the past few weeks. Here, he made a difference not only with his goalkeeping but also with his willingness to run down the clock. It was not pretty, and City’s players were certainly not impressed with his antics, but it was effective.
