JOIN USDemichelis rescues City
A late looping header from Martin Demichelis rescued a 2-2 draw for Manchester City at Arsenal on Saturday after moments of sublime skill from Jack Wilshere and Alexis Sanchez had turned the match in the London club's favour.
Champions City had a stranglehold on the encounter after Sergio Aguero put them ahead in the first half, but Wilshere burst into the box and chipped Joe Hart after the break and Sanchez showed superb technique to volley Arsenal ahead.
That had threatened to prove decisive until Demichelis rose highest in the area to guide a corner into the net and spoil an industrious but wasteful debut from Arsenal's new signing Danny Welbeck.
It was the second consecutive match where City had failed to win and left them on seven points from four matches, while Arsenal, who won only one Premier League game against the top five last season, are a point behind.
"I am satisfied because I thought this year it would be very difficult for us to defend our title," said Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini, before lambasting referee Mark Clattenburg for his performance.
It was an unfamiliar looking Manchester City midfield with no stranger sight than former Chelsea great Frank Lampard making his Premier League debut for the champions in the absence of Yaya Toure.
The hosts dominated the early battle for possession and should have taken the lead on 13 minutes when Welbeck raced on to a misplaced pass from David Silva but attempted an audacious chip over Joe Hart and struck the inside of the post.
If he wanted a lesson in ruthlessness, it was provided by Aguero 15 minutes later, with the Argentine timing his run to perfection to meet Jesus Navas' cross and apply the killer blow with a tidy sidefoot finish.
The game looked to be slipping away from Arsenal when Wilshere left a brilliant mark on the contest in the 63rd minute.
He wriggled free of a midfield scrum, latched on to a return pass from Aaron Ramsey, accelerated past Gael Clichy and dinked his finish over Hart.
Not to be out-done, close-season signing Sanchez connected with a Wilshere header to let fly with a perfectly-timed sidefoot volley that scorched past Hart into the net.
It was a worthy matchwinner in comparison to Demichelis' 83rd minute leveller that looked like it would be headed off the line until Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny got a hand to it and deflected it into the top corner.
City twice hit the woodwork in the closing stages and had a goal rightfully ruled offside in a frenetic end to the contest.
Neymar sizzles
Neymar came off the bench and produced two exquisite finishes from brilliant Lionel Messi assists to give Barcelona a 2-0 win at home to Athletic Bilbao on Saturday and maintain their perfect start to La Liga.
Barca dominated at a sun-drenched Nou Camp but were unable to make a breakthrough until Neymar ran clear onto Messi's threaded pass and dinked the ball past onrushing goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz for a 79th-minute lead. Five minutes later, Messi made one of his scintillating runs down the right and clipped the ball across to an unmarked Neymar, who had time to steady himself before sidefooting clinically into the bottom corner.
Meanwhile in the Bundesliga, Japan international Shinji Kagawa sparkled on his return to Borussia Dortmund, scoring one goal for the Ruhr Valley club and helping set up another in a 3-1 win over Freiburg on Saturday.