John Stones scored a crucial goal in injury time as Manchester City managed to secure a 2-2 draw against 10-man Arsenal on Sunday, maintaining their position at the top of the Premier League table after an intense encounter with their fierce title rivals. The draw, which was more of a physical battle than a tactical game, left Pep Guardiola's team with 13 points from five matches, while Mikel Arteta's Arsenal are in fourth place with 11 points.
Erling Haaland opened the scoring for City in the ninth minute when Savinho delivered a perfect through ball that the Norwegian striker sprinted onto and calmly slotted past David Raya. Ricardo Calafiori equalized for Arsenal with his first goal for the club, a stunning strike from about 20 meters out in the 22nd minute. Arsenal capitalized on a quick free kick, catching City off guard and leaving Guardiola visibly frustrated.
Gabriel put Arsenal ahead in first-half injury time with a powerful header from Bukayo Saka's corner. The visitors were reduced to 10 men just before halftime when Leandro Trossard received a second yellow card for delaying the restart. Despite being a man down, Arsenal looked set to secure their first win at the Etihad Stadium since 2015, but Stones' close-range effort in the 98th minute ensured a draw.
In another match, Brighton & Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest continued their unbeaten starts to the Premier League season with a thrilling 2-2 draw. Forest took the lead through Chris Wood's 13th-minute penalty, but Brighton turned the match around with two goals in three minutes just before halftime. Jack Hinshelwood equalized with a header, and Danny Welbeck put Brighton ahead with a superb free kick.
Forest fought back and were rewarded when substitute Ramon Sosa scored from close range in the 70th minute. Tempers flared later in the match, with Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White receiving a red card for a strong tackle, leading to both managers being sent off for technical area misconduct. Brighton and Forest both have nine points from their opening five games, with Brighton in seventh place and Forest in eighth.
Forest have been one of the surprise packages this season, with Nuno Espirito Santo's side showing significant improvement, including a victory at Liverpool last weekend. They disrupted Brighton's usual rhythm and were deservedly ahead when Wood converted his penalty. Brighton's first real effort on goal led to an equalizer, and they took the lead shortly after, but Forest's resilience saw them equalize again.
Despite the draw, Brighton remain unbeaten in their first five games of a top-flight season for the first time. Gibbs-White's dismissal for a second booking, along with the subsequent sending off of both managers, highlighted the intensity of the match.
