What Gabriel did in two red card incidents as Man City duo expose Arsenal problem

MANCHESTER CITY 2-1 ARSENAL: Erling Haaland delivered the knockout blow in the heavyweight bout at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Arsenal have been dealt a major blow to their hopes of winning the Premier League. Erling Haaland fired Manchester City to victory at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon, sealing three crucial points in the race for the title.

Rayan Cherki broke the deadlock inside the opening quarter of an hour. The Manchester City midfielder wriggled past Gabriel Magalhaes and Declan Rice before beating David Raya from close range, guiding the ball into the bottom corner.

A few moments later, Gianluigi Donnarumma gifted the Gunners an equaliser. Just as they had done before going behind, Arsenal pinned Pep Guardiola's side in; the Manchester City goalkeeper had his back pegged against the wall when Kai Havertz closed him down.

Donnarumma tried to clear his lines, but he smashed the ball into the Arsenal striker, which ricocheted into the net. Midway through the second half, Haaland put the Citizens back in front with a clever finish after wrestling Gabriel to the ground.

FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page

So, with that being said, football.london has discussed four talking points from the Etihad Stadium.

Cherki couldn't extinguish Arsenal fire

Arsenal began in the ascendancy, pegging Manchester City back into their own half. The Gunners were aggressive, on the front foot and finally delivered the fire that Arteta had promised earlier in the week.

It looked as if all their hard work had gone to waste when Cherki danced through their backline to break the deadlock, but Arsenal didn't drop their guard. No more than a couple of minutes after going behind, the north Londoners levelled proceedings, showing what they're all about: hard work, grit, and determination.

Just as they did in the opening quarter of an hour, Arsenal squeezed the home side into their own half and, leading by example, Havertz led a relentless press into the six-yard box. Donnarumma tried to clear his lines, but he smashed the ball into the striker, which ricocheted into the Manchester City net.

Despite the Gunners' best efforts, though, they couldn't hold on. But Arsenal didn't go down without a fight. Their fire is still burning.

Arsenal duo struggle to juggle Man City stars

Noni Madueke and Cristhian Mosquera certainly left room for improvement after the break. The Arsenal duo looked out of their depth at times during the first half, with Nico O'Reilly and Jeremy Doku running riot down the wing.

Fortunately for the Gunners, they were let off the hook, with Manchester City often funnelling play down the right despite the mismatch on the left. O'Reilly was head and shoulders above the rest; there was one particular moment when he nutmegged Madueke to beat the press and relieve some pressure on his side.

Coincidentally or not, the former Chelsea winger was hooked at the break, making way for Gabriel Martinelli. Meanwhile, Doku terrorised Mosquera, who was eventually booked for persistent fouling.

That right-hand side is a weakness that Arteta needs to fix.

Hincapie worth his weight in gold – and Gabriel knows it

Piero Hincapie was rock solid at the back. The Arsenal defender did a brilliant job at keeping Semenyo at bay; shortly before half-time, he threw his body on the line to block a ferocious strike from the Manchester City forward, which earned him a couple of slaps on the back from Gabriel and Raya.

Then, after the break, Hincapie joined forces with the Brazil international to nullify Semenyo – again. The former Bournemouth winger fell to the ground like a sack of spuds and, as he turned to plead for a free-kick, he was met by two incensed South Americans barking in his face.

Hincapie's signing on a permanent basis feels like a foregone conclusion.

Gabriel escapes punishment – twice

Gabriel was fortunate not to have been sent off in the first half. The television cameras spotted Arsenal defender having a tug on Haaland's hair following a duel in the middle of the park, but he escaped punishment.

The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) are notoriously harsh with punishments in this department, which are branded as 'violent conduct'. Lisandro Martinez was recently sent off and given a three-match ban for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin's hair; an appeal was rejected, and the sanction was upheld.

Then, in the second half, Gabriel locked horns with Haaland. The duo went head-to-head before the former arched his neck and threw his head into the latter's. They were both booked for the exchange, with the action not deemed 'to be excessively aggressive or violent'.

It was a great battle, but the Arsenal defender was certainly fortunate to not have been sent off.