Three reasons why Arsenal will be delighted with Man City's draw at Real Madrid including Erling Haaland 'blueprint'
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Football fans across the world tuned in to watch Manchester City's Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid on Tuesday, and Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was almost certainly among them.
Pep Guardiola's treble-chasing Manchester City matched Los Blancos stride-for-stride at the Bernabeu, with the contest ending in a 1-1 stalemate, setting up a grand stand finish at the Etihad.
Vinicius Jr gave Real the lead courtesy of a stunning strike into the top corner after a surging run from Eduardo Camavinga.
Kevin De Bruyne then got City back on level terms around the hour mark, smashing a first-time effort beyond the reach of Belgium teammate Thibaut Courtois.
Supporters will be counting down the days until the pair lock horns in the second leg, when City will be hoping to get revenge for last season's semi-final drama which saw Real snatch victory in extra time.
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But among the many talking points from Tuesday's contest, Arteta may have had a wry smile at full-time, as the Spaniard looks to keep pace with Manchester City in the Premier League title race.
Why will Arsenal be delighted?
Guardiola's focus returns to the Premier League on Sunday when City travel to Goodison Park to face Everton.
The defending champions will be eager to extend their lead at the top of the table, with second-placed Arsenal in hot pursuit.
Meanwhile, Everton are fighting for survival at the other end of the table, just two points clear of the relegation zone.
And a 5-1 win over Brighton last weekend will give them confidence to produce another shock result against City.
In addition, Guardiola chose to make no substitutions during the Champions League semi-final, suggesting he may need to rest those players for the Everton game.
The City boss unsurprisingly selected a full strength 11 for the match which included Erling Haaland and De Bruyne - both of whom could be wrapped up in cotton wool on the weekend.
Their potential absence could give the Toffees a serious boost, along with Arsenal fans who will be desperate for City to drop points.
What does the draw mean?
Manchester City's draw against Real means Guardiola is unable to sit back and bench players for the second leg, which takes place in exactly one weeks' time.
Had City put the game to bed in the first leg, they could afford to put their feet up at the Etihad and ease the burden on the likes of Haaland.
And as the games come thick and fast, Guardiola will have to rotate his squad accordingly, with a crucial game against Chelsea just four days after the second leg.
How to defend Haaland
Finally, plenty of Premier League teams may have had an eagle eye on Haaland's performance.
The Norwegian was kept largely quiet by Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba, who presented a blueprint on how to stop him.
Alaba produced a potentially defining moment in the first half. With Haaland bearing down on goal, the Austrian slid in with a goal-saving block to deny the 22-year-old.
Having previously been managing a Champions League goal every 58 minutes during his career, the pair gave Europe's leading goalscorer very little time and space, showing other teams exactly how to defend against him.
Featured Image Credit: Alamy
Topics: Arsenal, Mikel Arteta, Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, Champions League, Premier League, Football
