Two players reminded Man City of their importance vs Arsenal - and they didn't even play

Manchester City's draw against Arsenal saw some fans discussing the players who didn't feature as much as those who did.

Kyle Walker and John Stones didn't play in the draw with the Gunner, despite the latter being named on the bench, and their absence was sorely felt.

Despite a positive defensive display which saw City limit the Gunners to just six shots, the forward thrust was missing as key attacking players were smothered by red shirts.

Although City had plenty of quality on the pitch and welcomed the return of Jack Grealish, creativity from deeper positions might just have been the difference in creating clear-cut chances against the determined Gunners.

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Manuel Akanji and Josko Gvardiol produced solid displays, but it was evident that they lacked the forward-thinking vision that Walker and Stones possess. Walker suffered a hamstring injury whilst captaining England during the international break, while Stones had to be withdrawn from the Belgium game last Tuesday with a hip problem which gave Pep Guardiola a dilemma heading into the match.

City only had one shot on target during the encounter, and this raises the point that they needed more firepower to defeat Arsenal. The 0-0 draw means City are without a win against top-five opposition this season.

Despite only two assists in the league this campaign, Walker averages 0.88 key passes per game, with his influence down the right important to contributing in the final third and creating goal-scoring opportunities.

With City building pressure against a resilient and deep Arsenal backline, Walker’s