Live Manchester City 1-1 Arsenal As It Happened

• Joleon Lescott heads City ahead after 40 minutes.
• Laurent Koscielny levels after 83 minutes
  

17:56: Perhaps a fair result at full time but at periods in both halfs, Arsenal dominated the Champions in their own back yard. Joleon Lescott had headed City ahead at the break, but Laurent Koscieley reacted quickest to slam in the leveller. Sergio Aguero and Gervinho could have won for both sides who lacked a cool head at the vital time. City looked a tad leggy from their mid-week exploits but will be delighted with a point.

Full time: Manchester City 1-1 Arsenal

17:51: Three minutes added on. Jenkinson burst in behind Javi Garcia who is booked for a cynical foul on the young full back. Arteta swings the free kick but Lescott heads away.

17:49: That was the chance for Arsenal. The balls breaks Cazorla's way, who feeds Gibbs. He in turn finds Gervinho, who turns away but can only blast over the bar. Hasn't been his day.

17:46: Mario Balotelli has come on for Sergio Aguero. Two minutes plus stoppage time left at the Etihad.

17:43: City almost retake the lead. Kompany produces an outstanding overhead kick which Mannone keeps out but Koscielny can only clear to Aguero who somehow shoots wide. Thrilling finale in store.

17:42: Cazorla unleashes a brilliant effort which Hart does brilliantly to keep out. From the corner, Lescott's clearance falls Laurent Koscielny's way, who batters the ball beyond Hart.

Goal: Manchester City 1-1 Arsenal: (Laurent Koscielny)

17:39: Arsenal are pouring men forward and they almost pay the price at the other end as Toure runs the length of the pitch, but waits too long to play in Aguero, who forces a smart stop out of Mannone.

17:37: Mancini's men are making hard work of grinding out this win, giving the ball away too often inside the Arsenal half, handing the visitors plenty of encouragement in attack but even with Giroud and Koscielny in attack Gervinho refuses to cross the ball in and City clear.

17:33: Jenkinson's cross is too high for Giroud, but the Frenchman has an opportunity from Gervinho's pass back in, but the ball is deflected over the top. The ball comes back into the area, which Mertesacker wins, but Hart smothers the header to deny Giroud.

17:29: Double change for Arsenal, Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud replace Lukas Podolski and Abou Diaby.

17:26: Tevez is invovled immediatly and he finds Yaya Toure 25 yards out, but his shot is weak and goes harmlessly behind for a goal kick.

17:25: A City attack breaks down in its' infancy and Arsenal mount another attack. Cazorla finds Gervinho who tuns but shoots wildly over the bar. I wonder how long until we see Olivier Giroud, but we will see Carlos Tevez, who replaces Edin Dzeko.

17:18: Arsenal aren't enjoying anywhere near the amount of possesson nor dominance that they had in the first half, with the introduction of Rodwell adding steel to City's midfield. Cazorla tries to make something out of nothing but his pass goes out of play.

17:13: The hosts have been much the better since the break and again should have scored a second. Silva plays in Aguero in the inside right channel who tussels with Koscielny and wins a corner. Arsenal go up the other end but Jenkinson' cross is straight into the arms of Hart.

17:09: City should arguably have doubled their lead. Silva's free-kick from the right comes all the way through to Aguero who instead of teeing up on of his teammates in the centre, drove the ball over the bar. His striking instincts got the better of him.

17:03: Heavens have opened in Manchester. Both sides are out and Jack Rodwell has replaced Scott Sinclair. We're underway in the second half.

16:57: Think it's fair to say that after all the focus on Steve Bould's role at Arsenal over the past week, today's goal has as much to do his influence as their success has up until now had. Mannone's role in the piece shouldn't be forgotton either after he came a long way and got none of the ball. But City are putting in a performance like Champions, and lead through Lescott's goal.

16:50: Having dominated for long periods, Arsenal trail at the interval following a very preventable City goal from Joleon Lescott. Big questions over The Gunners' zonal marking system and Vito Mannone's handling. Gervinho has been guilty of spurning Arsenal's best chance when clean through, but the visistors have more than held their own against the Champions.

Half-time: Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal

16:46: One minute added on and against Arsenal look like striking. Cazorla plays an eye of th neddle pass to Ramsey, but the Welshman is tackled and City can again breath a sigh of relief.

16:44: City almost double their lead immediatly, as Dzeko hits from 20 yards, but Mannone is equal to the scooped effort and turns the ball over the bar. Cazorla tries to reply at the other end, but shoots well wide.

16:42: Gibbs gets a head on a wayward cross and the ball goes out for a corner, and Arsenal are made to pay. Mannone comes for Silva's corner, and gets nowhere near it and with Arsenal's zonal marking system looking static, Joleon Lescott is able to rise unchallenged and head into an empty net.

Goal: Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal (Joleon Lescott)

16:38: Arsenal fans think they've taken the lead as Gervinho's effort hits the side netting leading to a huge cheer from the away end. Game has plateaued a little. City seeking more control in midfield.

16:34: The beauty of Manchester City's attacking riches is that they're always a threat and Aguero almost tests Mannone, but Arsenal get the block in. Ramsey darts beyond Yaya Toure at the other end, and wins a free-kick. Cazorla takes the set piece, but Hart deals with it with ease.

16:29: The away side are well on top in an attacking sence, and everything is going through Cazorla. The Spaniard plays in Gervinho, but before he can lay the ball on a plate for Podolski, Clichy intercepts and city survive. The Premier League champions very much on the back foot however.

16:25: Joleon Lescott is a lucky boy. He looks to have held off Jenkinson on the right hand side, but the youngster gets away, pulls the ball back towards Podolski, with his weaker right foot blazes the ball over the bar. Best chance of the game.

16:22: It's the home side's turn to threaten in the final third now and Silva almost finds Aguero on the half volley, but Mertesacker intercepts the cross. Slightly more to get excited about from both teams now.

16:19: Arsenal doing their status as the Premier League's in-form side no harm in the opening quarter, and Gibbs has four red shirts to choose from when crossing from the left, but it evades all of them and City counter through Sinclair but he can't release Aguero.

16:17: Well Arsenal should be ahead. Gervinho is played in by Ramsey but the Ivorian miss controls the pass as he bears down on Hart's goal and the chance is gone.

16:15: City reply in kind and it's our first look at Aguero, who dusts off the copwebs and forces Mannone into a decent low save after the Argentine cut inside Jenkinson. The hosts force a corner, bu Silva's cross is overhit.

16:14: Arsenal have started much the better and they almost force the first chance. Arteta plays a beautfiully crafted ball to Gibbs who gets in behind, but his first-timed volleyed pass misses Podolski and City clear to safety.

16:10: First look at Scott Sinclair against Carl Jenkinson, and the Arsenal full back is able to sheppard the ball out of play. Cazorla opts to shoot from 30 yards, but Hart saves low down to his left.

16:07: Tame start to the game at the Etihad. Arsenal again the most threatening in an attacking sence but City are so far happy to keep the ball in their own half. Gibbs has a chance to find Cazorla from the left, but Kompany intervenes.

16:03: Santi Cazorla is being employed in a wide role at the Etihad Stadium today, with Ramsey playing in the hole behind Podolski. Arsenal the first side on the front-foot but Diaby can't get the cross in and City clear.

16:00: Both sides are out at the Etihad Stadium. A minutes' applause is being held for the death of the two female Greater Manchester police officers last week. The two sides are wearing black armbands.

15:53: City welcome back Sergio Aguero after his knee injury against Southampton on the opening day of the season. Scott Sincair makes his full home debut, while Carlos Tevez has to settle for a place on the bench. Edin Dzeko also features up front.

Arsenal are without captain Thomas Vermaelen, who has flu. Aaron Ramsey is also given an opportunity from the start as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain drops to the bench. Lukas Podolski will play in the centre of a front three.

15:45: Teams:

Manchester City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy, Javi Garcia, Toure, Silva, Sinclair, Aguero, Dzeko.

Substitutes: Pantilimon, Kolarov, Rodwell, Barry, Nastasic, Tevez, Balotelli.

Arsenal: Mannone, Jenkinson, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Gibbs, Ramsey, Diaby, Arteta, Cazorla, Gervinho, Podolski.

Substitutes: Martinez, Andre Santos, Giroud, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Djourou, Coquelin.

Referee: Mike Dean

15:40: A game which has very much lived in the shadow of the match at Anfield this week sees champions Manchester City face the in-form side in the Premier League, Arsenal.

The Gunners, despite a raft of changes in the summer, have fused together instantly this term and but their title ambitions are likely to be truly tested at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon.

Defensive errors has been the theme of City's start to the season so far, problems which came to a head against Real Madrid in midweek, while Arsenal overcame Montepellier in their opening Champions League group game.