Arsenal earned a hard-fought point against Manchester City on match day five of the Premier League season.
It was a dramatic fixture for the Gunners, who came agonisingly close to earning three points at the Etihad Stadium.
After going behind to an Erling Haaland goal in the first half, Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel scored to give the visitors a lead to take into the interval.
Unfortunately, a lead wasn’t the only thing that Arsenal took into the dressing room, as Leandro Trossard’s sending off added the pressure just before half time.
Mikel Arteta’s side held on until the final seconds when John Stones scored the equaliser, seeing the dramatic fixture end 2-2.
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Why Arsenal were furious about Leandro Trossard’s red card vs Man City
Just as things started to be going the way Arsenal would have dreamed, the Gunners were forced back down to earth as Trossard was sent off just before the interval.
The Belgian was on a yellow card when he collided with Bernardo Silva before kicking the ball away, which of course saw him receive a second booking.
As Arsenal know too well, players will be punished for disrupting play this season although, that’s not how the North Londoners saw the incident involving Trossard.
Sky Sports News reporter Melissa Reddy reported live from the Etihad during the fixture and gave a different verdict on the Belgian’s red card.
“Arsenal are absolutely incensed by the decision to send off Trossard for kicking the ball away for two major reasons,” Reddy explained before listing why the Gunners were furious.
“Doku wasn’t booked for the same thing earlier in the half. And sources say Trossard didn’t kick the ball away out of petulance but was playing on and clearing the danger.”
The stance makes the scenario all the more difficult for Arsenal to digest, with the understanding that the winger’s kicking of the ball was in fact his attempt to play the ball before the whistle went.
Arsenal were agonisingly close against City
Just seconds before the final whistle, Stones netted the equaliser, breaking Arsenal hearts as the Gunners’ 10 men defended so valiantly.
The final result does not tell the tale of Arsenal’s efforts, with Trossard’s red card a key moment in the game, and one that might have cost his side three points.
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While there is a belief that the winger didn’t kick the ball away in rage, it was a reckless passage of play that led to the incident, play that shouldn’t be seen from an away player at the home of the champions.
Still, it was a remarkable effort from Arsenal, who did almost all that they possibly could to walk away from the Etihad victorious.
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