Champions League: Gunners show signs of life; hold Man City 2-2

Arsenal, Man City

Arsenal's Shkodran Mustafi (second from right) heads his team's second goal against Man City during an EPL match at Emirates Stadium in London yesterday. pic/Getty Images

London: Arsenal earned beleaguered manager Arsene Wenger a measure of respite by twice hitting back to hold Manchester City to a 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Pep Guardiola twice saw his City side go ahead, through Leroy Sane and then Sergio Aguero, but Arsenal twice responded via goals from Theo Walcott and Shkodran Mustafi. Victory would have been a welcome tonic for Wenger, who has come in for heavy criticism from Arsenal's fans, but after four defeats in five Premier League games, the point was welcome.

His side remain seven points below City, who occupy the fourth and final Champions League berth, in sixth place, but they retain a game in hand on them.

City drop crucial points
City were prevented from reclaiming third place from Liverpool and eating into Chelsea's advantage following the leaders' shock 2-1 defeat at home to Crystal Palace.

But City, who have now drawn their last three league games, will have an opportunity to close to within eight points of the summit when they travel to Chelsea on Wednesday.

It took City less than five minutes to draw blood as Kevin De Bruyne's hopeful pass from deep inside his own half sent Sane scampering clear.

The Germany winger outpaced Hector Bellerin and skipped past David Ospina - deputising in goal for the injured Petr Cech - before rolling in his eighth City goal. When De Bruyne bent a low shot against the post and David Silva forced Ospina to parry with the rebound, Arsenal looked set for a long afternoon.

Wenger's men equalised in the 40th minute when Gael Clichy played Walcott onside from Mustafi's header and the England man bundled a shot past Caballero.

Arsenal's recent travails
But in testament to Arsenal's recent travails, parity would exist for just 131 seconds. De Bruyne's dart into the box was halted by the sliding Laurent Koscielny, but Silva collected the loose ball and laid it off to Aguero, who crashed a low, angled drive beneath Ospina.

Arsenal had threatened in first-half stoppage time, Walcott stabbing over from Sanchez's pass, and eight minutes into the second half they levelled when Mustafi rose to head in Ozil's corner.