If anyone considered this a glorified kickabout they should have watched Arsenal’s players wheel ecstatically towards their support after Fábio Vieira, finding Stefan Ortega’s top right corner, settled the penalty shootout and struck the first blow of 2023-24. They would also have received an education from Mikel Arteta’s fist-pumping reaction after Leandro Trossard’s shot, heavily deflected off Manuel Akanji, trickled home 11 minutes into added time and gave them their shot at a seemingly unlikely win.
Manchester City seemed to have done enough to win a brisk, watchable enough tie through a fine 77th-minute finish from Cole Palmer but Arsenal deserved parity over the course of proceedings and Arteta will consider this a stopping of the rot after nine straight defeats against last season’s treble winners.
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