Arsenal fight back to beat Man City but count cost of Gabriel injury

Arsenal staged a second half comeback to claim a 3-2 win over Manchester City in Gothenburg as both teams prepared for the start of the Premier League season next weekend.

Arsene Wenger’s side showed great resilience to come from behind against City, with Alex Iwobi, Theo Walcott and Chuba Akpom finding the net to cancel out Sergio Aguero’s first half opener in Sweden.

Yaya Toure clawed one back for Pep Guardiola’s side late in the match, but the real damage was done to Arsenal as defender Gabriel Paulista suffered a bad injury in stoppage time to depend the Gunners’ defensive problems.

But Wenger will reflect on a strong second half showing by his team, with the Gunners preparing to open their league campaign against Liverpool next weekend and Manchester City up against Sunderland in Guardiola’s Premier League bow.

Arsenal’s defensive strains were already evident before this match, but now they will only be accentuated by the injury suffered by Gabriel. So will Wenger be forced into making a signing in the transfer market? The Gunners are desperately lacking experience at the back. They might have to dip their hands into the market to address that.

Alexis Sanchez - There was a sense last season that Arsenal didn’t get the best of Alexis Sanchez, with the Chilean forward struggling for much of the campaign through injury. But on this basis he will be among the Premier League’s best this term, causing Manchester City all kinds of problems just like he did to opponents at the Copa America earlier this summer.

Arsenal - Cech 7, Bellerin 7, Gabriel 6, Holding 5, Monreal 7, Coquelin 5, Xhaka 7, Oxlade-Chamberlain 6, Iwobi 7, Ramsey 6, Sanchez 8.

Manchester City - Caballero 6, Zabaleta 5, Fernando 6, Kolarov 5, Clichy 6, Fernandinho 6, Silva 7, Delph 6, Nolito 7, Sterling 6, Aguero 7.

13’ RAMSEY COMES CLOSE! That was the best chance of the match so far. Alexis crossed the ball into the Welsh midfielder, but on the run he could only find the top of the net with a header.

18’ HE SHOULD HAVE SCORED! Xhaka picked out Oxlade-Chamberlain with an excellent pass over the top, but the attacker could only lob his finish wide of the far post. That was close!

20’ BELLERIN MAKES THE BLOCK! Aguero got away from the two central defenders, but the Arsenal right back does well to take the sting out of the effort from the Argentine.

30’ GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Manchester City: There's the breakthrough and it has gone to Manchester City! Sterling plays a wonderful cross into the box and Aguero gets on the end of it to finish past Cech.

51’ GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 Manchester City: We're all square in Gothenburg! Walcott picked out the run of Iwobi and the youngster found the bottom corner of the net with a curling right-footed finish.

61’ OFF THE BAR! That was so close to a second goal for Arsenal. Alexis lined up the freekick on the edge of the penalty area and smashed his effort off the crossbar with Hart beaten.

66’ GREAT SAVE FROM HART! Walcott hit the shot first time from the right wing after being set up by Cazorla, but the Man City keeper did well to tip the effort round the far post.

69’ SCRAMBLE IN THE BOX! I'm not sure who had the shot for Manchester City, but Ceh had to make the save, with his Arsenal defenders clearing the ball under pressure on front of him.

73’ GOAL! Arsenal 2-1 Manchester City: They have turned the game around here in Sweden! Alexis plays through Walcott and the winger chips a wonderful finish over Hart to give Arsenal the lead.

77’ WHAT A MISS! Oh my word! How did Toure miss that? De Bruyne played the ball back to the midfielder from the byline, but he somehow sends his shot about 20 yards over the target.

85’ GOAL! Arsenal 3-1 Manchester City: Terrible defending from Man City! They play themselves into trouble, Walcott pounces on it and Akpom is on hand to finish into the net.

87’ GOAL! Arsenal 3-2 Manchester City: They have a goal back almost immediately! De Bruyne crossed into the box and Iheanacho was there to head home from close range.

89’ GOOD SAVE FROM CECH! Great play from Toure sees his take the ball with his back to goal, turning and shooting at goal. His effort draws a save from the Arsenal keeper.

91’ UH OH! This is a bad one for Gabriel. He has hit the turf with an injury and the stretcher is out for him. Arsenal already have problems with injury at the back and this will make things worse.