Forget John Stones’ equaliser – Rodri’s injury could be the difference in the title race for Man City: winners and losers as the Championship ponders the Spanish star’s fitness while Arsenal calculate the cost of Leandro Trossard’s brainless red card

And breathe. After last season’s rather lifeless games, many expected Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta to deliver another boring “showdown” on Sunday when Manchester City hosted the team many once again see as their biggest title rivals: Arsenal. What took place, however, was a breathless game that had pretty much everything, ending in a 2-2 draw after John Stone’s dramatic equaliser in injury time.

Both teams can be happy with this result. City were on the verge of suffering their first Premier League home defeat since November 2022 and, having played the entire second half against 10 men, they could have easily imagined turning the game around after the break and moving five points clear of the Gunners.

Arsenal, on the other hand, held firm after Leandro Trossard’s frustrating red card, putting up an outstanding defence against wave after wave of City attacks. The fact that they came away with a point in the circumstances is cause for celebration, despite what they saw as a heartbreaking end to the game.

And yet perhaps the most crucial moment in this season’s title win came as early as the 20th minute, when Rodri limped off the field after going down in his own penalty area while defending a corner, clutching his knee. The Ballon d’Or candidate appeared to be in great pain as he writhed on the ground, and a potentially lengthy absence could leave City vulnerable given how important Rodri is to Guardiola’s machine.

GOAL analyzes the winners and losers of the Etihad Stadium …