Forget Erling Haaland, £26m Man City ace was a standout and stopped one key Arsenal problem

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Manchester City were so close to executing the perfect away performance as they travelled to Arsenal over the weekend.

Pep Guardiola’s team took an early lead, as Erling Haaland burst through on goal and put the ball into the back of the net to shake the Emirates Stadium crowd.

Manchester City then proceeded to put up a mean defence, with Arsenal seeming unlikely to ever break them down.

That was until the final moments, when two pieces of skill from Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Martinelli saw the Gunners equalise.

In the end, both teams had to settle for a point, with some decent performances on either side.

There was one star who stood out in particular for Man City in the draw against Arsenal, even after conceding.

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Gianluigi Donnarumma was key to stopping Arsenal’s set-pieces and crosses

Gianluigi Donnarumma’s transfer to Manchester City came with plenty of raised eyebrows, as he appears to be a slightly different profile from the usual goalkeeper he would pick.

A greater focus on shot-stopping over ball-playing appears to be the route forward, with a £26 million fee paid for one of the best in that department.

The Italian international certainly provided his worth in the clash with Arsenal.

An area he excelled in was his punching, denying any chances for the opposition to cause trouble with their set-pieces or crossing.

In the end, Gianluigi Donnarumma made three punches to clear the box, along with four clearances, while he made two saves inside the box to stop the Gunners.

Arsenal struggled to make much of their usual set-piece threat, failing to pile the pressure on Man City.

The eventual goal that was conceded came as something of a blow to his top performance, as he was caught rushing out due to the high line played by his defence.

There was little he could do to deny Martinelli’s equaliser, and though a clean sheet was wiped from his record, the performance should be viewed as promising from the new goalkeeper.

The need for Donnarumma to be involved did, however, mark a departure from Man City’s old way of playing.

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Gianluigi Donnarumma’s display at the heart of Manchester City’s tactical change

Man City’s change in style is seemingly clear now, as Guardiola looks to evolve them into their next iteration.

There appears to be a stronger focus on defending and pushing on to score in transitional moments.

That certainly played out in City’s draw with Arsenal, even if it wasn’t always the most comfortable for the side.

Donnarumma’s involvement certainly points towards that, as he took 36 touches, with only 50% of his passes being successful.

His decision to launch it certainly points towards how Man City will now play, as their evolution continues.