John Stones scored a last-minute equalizer, resulting in a 2-2 draw for Manchester City against 10-man Arsenal in a heated match between the top contenders for the Premier League title on Sunday.

Arsenal played the entire second half with one fewer player after Leandro Trossard was sent off, yet they were moments away from handing City their first home loss since November 2022.

The draw allows City to reclaim the top position, leading Arsenal by two points, who are currently in fourth place.

Erling Haaland's 100th goal for City provided Pep Guardiola's team with an ideal beginning. 

Arsenal managed to turn the match around with a spectacular goal from Riccardo Calafiori and another header from Gabriel Magalhaes from a set piece. 

The Gunners lost Trossard to a second yellow card just before halftime. 

Nevertheless, Mikel Arteta's squad mounted an impressive defensive effort to hold on until the very end, when Stones scored after Arsenal failed to clear a corner. 

The match's intensity was evident from the start when Kai Havertz collided with Rodri, leaving the Spaniard requiring treatment. 

Guardiola mentioned that City benefited from having an extra day of rest and not having to travel for their Champions League match against Inter Milan on Wednesday.

In contrast, Arsenal played in Italy on Thursday, where they ended up in a 0-0 draw with Atalanta.

Manchester City quickly tried to capitalize on their fresher players and were rewarded early on.

Liverpool was shocked by Nottingham Forest, while Haaland scored another two goals in City's victory. Last season, Haaland didn't manage a single shot on target in the two league matches against Arsenal, who managed to keep two clean sheets against the champions.

However, the Norwegian striker is in exceptional form and needed only nine minutes to net his 10th goal of the season, marking his 100th goal in just 105 appearances for City.

Savinho's pass split the Arsenal defense, allowing Haaland to calmly slot the ball past the advancing David Raya.

Ilkay Gundogan then struck a free-kick that hit the post.

City's momentum was disrupted when Rodri had to leave the field due to a knee injury. Just moments after Mateo Kovacic came on to replace him, Arsenal equalized in spectacular fashion. Gabriel Martinelli found Calafiori at the edge of the box, and the Italian defender skillfully curled a shot past Ederson, marking his first goal for the Gunners. Gabriel had previously scored the winning goal in Arsenal's 1-0 victory over Tottenham in the north London derby last weekend. City struggled to handle the Brazilian's strength during set-pieces.

Guardiola's team received a warning when Gabriel headed over his first significant chance from a Bukayo Saka corner. However, he made no mistake with his second opportunity, outmuscling Kyle Walker to head in another excellent delivery from Saka. Just before halftime, there was another significant shift in momentum when Trossard received a red card for a second yellow after kicking the ball away following a foul.

Arsenal had previously dropped two points in a 1-1 draw with Brighton when Declan Rice was sent off in a similar manner just three weeks ago, and they faced a similar disappointment this time. In response, Arteta brought on an additional defender, Ben White, for Saka, as the visitors fortified their defense to withstand relentless City attacks. Raya was called into action to save a powerful downward header from Haaland.

Arsenal mostly limited City's chances to long-range attempts from their center-backs, with Raya making two saves against Josko Gvardiol. 

However, it was another City defender who scored what might be a crucial goal in the title race as the season progresses. 

Stones found the net by converting a loose ball from Jack Grealish’s cross, helping City maintain their nearly two-year unbeaten run at home.