Here are the City player ratings as Manchester City was held to a nil-all draw by Arsenal at the Etihad. The game was billed as a potential title decider, but in truth, it failed to live up to the pre-game hype.
Mikel Arteta set his side up not to lose at the Etihad. The world champions tried to break down a stubborn Arsenal rearguard and dominated possession throughout the game. But Pep Guardiola’s side lacked any cutting edge, and the massive Premier League fixture between the two teams ended in a bore draw.
In truth, there was only one winner from yesterday’s game, which was Liverpool. With their 2-1 win over Brighton, they now sit top of the Premier League with their destiny in their hands in the title race.
For Manchester City, they must win now win as many games as possible in the last 9 games of the Premier League season and hope Liverpool and Arsenal drop points on the run home. It isn’t all doom and gloom, but City’s road to a fourth consecutive Premier League title became a lot harder at the final whistle at the Etihad Stadium yesterday.
City player ratings
Stefan Ortega-6/10: He had very little to do in goal besides one second half save. It was a quiet day for Ortega given how the game played out.
Manuel Akanji-7/10: Started at right-back but switched to centre back after Ake’s injury. Did his work with minimal fuss.
Ruben Dias-7/10: An assured performance from Dias. Had very little to do but did what he had to do well.
Nathan Ake-6/10: Was looking calm and assured before injury struck. Hopefully, his injury isn’t too serious given his importance to the City defence.
Josko Gvardiol-8/10: Was almost Gvardiol’s best game in a City shirt. Defended well and was good in possession.
Rodri-8/10: Alongside Gvardiol, he was Manchester City’s man-of-the-match. He dominated midfield and tried to inspire his team to a victory.
Mateo Kovacic-6/10: Brought a sense of calm to City’s midfield. He was, however, guilty of giving away possession when pressured on several occasions.
Kevin De Bruyne-6/10: The Belgian international toiled away, but there was just no space for him to operate. A subdued display from City’s most creative weapon.
Bernardo Silva-7/10: His workrate was there as he tried to lift the world champions. Was arguably City’s most dangerous attacking option, which isn’t saying much given how the game unfolded.
Phil Foden-6/10: Not his best display. Foden struggled to get into the game before being substituted.
Erling Haaland-3/10: Haaland was largely neutralized for the entire game. He had no space to operate and barely had a sniff. He also fluffed his only chance late. A poor day for City’s number 9.
Substitutes
Rico Lewis-7/10: Came on for the injured Nathan Ake and didn’t look out of place. The big stage didn’t frighten the youngster as he did his job well.
Jack Grealish-6/10: He tried hard but needs game time. Manchester City badly needs him firing as the season reaches its conclusion.
Jeremy Doku-6/10: A similar performance to that of Grealish. Doku tried hard but had no space to operate in.
