PLAYER RATINGS: Haaland and O'Reilly stomp shy Gunners as Arteta bottles it massively

Although Manchester City have not been outstanding this season, in this match they were exactly what they needed to be. Guardiola focused on what he knows best — passing play — and it paid off. Given the situation his team was in until recently, we can say the Spaniard is doing a great job.

What on earth did Donnarumma do on Arsenal’s goal… However, he did somewhat make up for the mistake with a few good saves afterwards. He can thank Haaland and Cherki for the goals.

One of the best, if not the best player on the pitch. In keeping with his entire season, O’Reilly was outstanding defensively and excellent going forward. A masterclass from the young full-back.

A solid performance from the former Crystal Palace player. Given that Arsenal were attacking with high balls, he handled the defensive duties around his own goal well.

Slightly better of the two centre-backs. Fast and strong, which is exactly why he was signed, Khusanov made some good interventions and did well to shut down Havertz, especially in one situation where the German could have easily been through on goal.

Although there was less play on that side of the pitch, Nunes did his job quite well, without any major mistakes.

Rodri doesn’t have a Ballon d’Or in his trophy cabinet for nothing. He was excellent in midfield — strong, composed, with superb ball control. His experience on the pitch is invaluable.

Although somewhat quieter in the first part of the game, the captain turned into a beast in the closing stages and fought like a lion. A good performance from the departing player.

Doku has long since become an important figure in Guardiola’s team — a brilliant performance from the Belgian in the first half. Mosquera hardly knew where he was for most of the match because of Semenyo’s dribbling.

Magician — a word that once again perfectly describes Rayan Cherki’s performance. A goal, a phenomenal piece of skill, dribbling, entertainment — this is exactly the kind of player you watch football for. A joy to watch.

Has anyone seen Semenyo? Jokes aside, the weakest part of the winning team was Antoine Semenyo. It’s true that the home side attacked that flank less often, but even when they did, Semenyo didn’t look confident.

What Haaland managed to do and endure in his duel with Gabriel was incredible. Strong in the physical battles, in constant duels with Arsenal’s centre-back, he managed to make use of even the smallest fraction of a chance that Gabriel gave him. That is the greatness of a striker.

Not enough time spent on the pitch.

Not enough time spent on the pitch.

Despite conceding two goals, we can't say it's Raya's fault Arsenal lost the crucial match of the season. He was under constant fire, and his defensive line didn't make his job any easier.

Ugh, that was some serious suffering for the Gunners' right-back. Faced with unstoppable Jeremy Doku, Mosquera had so much work, doing it quite poorly for quite some time, as the Belgian seemed too quick for him. Later, he restored some balance.

The Ecuadorian left-back struggled in the beginning, but his game improved as time went by. He had that life-saving clearance to stop Semenyo's shot. Maybe this level is a bit too much for him, but we can't neglect his courage and desire.

He did his job quite well, though it should be noted that it was not his task to stop Haaland. Therefore, all the weight was on his partner, Gabriel.

… And what can we say about Gabriel? A rock-solid centre-back who has all the courage in the world, but sometimes it’s just not enough with a beast of Haaland’s ilk. He chased him, grabbed him, fought him… did everything to stop him. Alas, it was just not enough against Viking. Reacted poorly, too, during Cherki’s run for the opener. Turning your back doesn’t help you against such magicians, just ask Virgil van Dijk.

The other side of that Rice coin. Zubimendi is an impressive player, covering a lot of space, engaging heavily in defending and being a reliable defensive midfielder. But he should take a closer look at his compatriot Rodri. Those fine margins make all the difference at this level.

Criticising him would be unfair. Praising him would be undeserved. Rice is an exceptional midfielder, but he could add more to his game, especially in the attacking phase. Sure, his passes are accurate, which is simply not enough in the title decider. Arsenal needed more of him.

From a sleeping beauty to a beauty creator. The Norwegian decided the crucial game of the season, but unfortunately for the Gunners, that wasn’t their Martin. Very shy in the first half, he emerged splendidly in the middle of the second half, and it’s a shame Havertz was unable to capitalise on his lovely pass. With Gyokeres there, it might have been a whole different story.

That woodwork will haunt him for years, if not even longer. If that one went in, it would be a whole different ball game. Quite a tragic moment for Eze.

Noni... who? We're sorry, but the 24-year-old attacking midfielder of Nigerian origins didn't show up for this crucial game. He was isolated on that right flank in the first half, far away from action and Arteta left him in the dressing room at half time.

From hero to zero. Don’t get us wrong, it’s really nothing personal against Havertz, but there’s something about this hard-working and excellent forward that simply doesn’t go along with being a hero. Highly intelligent reaction for that equaliser, but then he missed two sitters in the second half that could have changed not only this game, but the entire season. Ehh…

Made a serious impact after coming on after the half-time interval. Maybe we expected more from the Brazilian, but at least that substitution made sense and improved Arsenal’s game.

If only Arteta knew he had Gyokeres on the list of available players for today's match. What, he actually knew?! Well, giving him only ten minutes was just as tragic as it gets.

Not enough time spent on the pitch.

Not enough time spent on the pitch.

From a Quadruple to an almost complete bottle in just a few weeks. Arteta has lost it all, except for the Champions League. At least for now… He came to Manchester to grab a draw and it cost him all three points. Not brave enough, actually afraid of the glory waiting for him around the corner, he decided to give the possession to City and also leave Gyokeres on the bench. That short-lived second-half spark aside, his Arsenal didn’t deserve a point, let alone all three today. That’s not how you win titles. On the contrary… Pep taught him a lesson.