Arsenal snatch a point at Man City

Laurent Koscielny scored a late equaliser as Arsenal came from behind to snatch a well-earned point from a breathless encounter with Manchester City.

The Frenchman found the net nine minutes from time, thumping in from close range after the champions had failed to clear the danger from a corner.

City had taken a scarcely deserved lead when Joleon Lescott headed in David Silva's corner five minutes before the break.

But Arsenal kept going to salvage a point from a match that maintains both clubs' unbeaten starts to the season and leaves them locked together on eight points from five matches.

City manager Roberto Mancini cut a fraught and frustrated figure throughout the game, as City once again failed to recreate the attacking fluency that became their trademark in the early months of last season.

He could only bring himself to describe his side's Premier League campaign as "satisfactory" in his programme notes before the game. Against Arsenal there was little evidence to persuade him to change his verdict.

Life has not been easy for his opposite number Arsene Wenger these past few years. With Robin van Persie joining the recent exodus of star players from the Emirates Stadium, a sense of anguish among the north London side's supporters is understandable.

But this was an accomplished performance, made all the more satisfying by the contributions of Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey.

The Arsenal faithful even mocked their City counterparts' "Poznan" celebration, by turning their backs to the pitch and bouncing up and down when Koscielny found the net.

And at the final whistle the overwhelming emotion in their section was a sense of pride in the continuing improvement of their team.

If the scarcely believable events against Real Madrid at the Bernebeu on Tuesday night had left City deflated and leggy, Arsenal did their best to exploit it during a frantic first half.

Using the energy of Abou Diaby and the guile of Cazorla, Wenger's side were sharper to the ball and swifter to use it, but yet somehow still found themselves behind at the interval.

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