Arsenal put in a tenacious performance against Premier League champions Manchester City on Sunday and claimed a huge victory in the context of their season against Pep Guardiola's men.

Mikel Arteta will be hugely satisfied with his side's grit and determination as Gabriel Martinelli's deflected strike on 86 minutes proved to be the difference between the sides in front of a raucous atmosphere in north London. For long periods, it looked as if the deadlock would not be broken at either end as solid defensive displays from both backlines indicated that the crunch tie would end goalless; however, Arsenal showed their mettle as genuine contenders for the Premier League title, which they will hope to claim for the first time since 2004 come next May.

We at FootballFanCast take a look at the best and most inefficient Gunners performers from today's encounter, which will surely go down as one of Arsenal's more memorable wins in recent years as they join rivals Tottenham Hotspur at joint-top in the league standings.

GK: David Raya – 6/10

Despite a nervous start to proceedings and nearly giving away a goal on the cheap due to a loose clearance that fortuitously ricocheted wide, the Spaniard recovered and was able to keep a clean sheet for the Gunners, though he was helped out by his defence, who were resolute throughout the entire 90 minutes.

RB: Ben White – 7/10

England international Ben White enjoyed a productive time of things against Manchester City, completing three tackles and two clearances in a solid defensive display on the right-hand side. The former Brighton & Hove Albion man also carried a threat going forward and was accurate in his passing and can be proud of his performance against a notoriously difficult opponent.

CB: William Saliba – 7/10

William Saliba just oozes class, doesn't he? The Bondy-born ace was once again a dependable presence for Arsenal and used his pace, power and aggression expertly to thwart Manchester City's attack. Keeping the likes of Erling Haaland quiet is no mean feat and his central defensive partner, Gabriel, can also take great pride in his work; however, we will come on to him next.

CB: Gabriel – 7/10

As partnerships go, Gabriel and his teammate Saliba possess a nice blend of youth and experience and both complement each other well, with the same notion extending to their collective exploits today. Gabriel made three interceptions in the tie and also maintained a pass accuracy of 92%, which isn't bad against a team dubbed the greatest on the planet by many over the last few months.

LB: Oleksandr Zinchenko – 7/10

Oleksandr Zinchenko slotted in well and took on the role of playing as an inverted full-back with minimal difficulty for vast spells, showing quality and a keen eye for a pass in his 75 minutes on the field before being replaced by Takehiro Tomiyasu.

CM: Martin Odegaard – 7/10

Club captain Martin Odegaard continues to rise to the mantle of carrying the torch for his side during clutch moments and delivered another energetic display in the engine room against Manchester City.

CM: Declan Rice – 8/10 (Man of the Match)

Declan Rice enjoyed a dominant performance against a depleted Manchester City midfield at the Emirates and managed to win some crucial tackles, thus setting his side on their way to fashion attacking opportunities. The England international's graft in the middle of the park may have gone unnoticed due to Martinelli's late winner; nevertheless, victory wouldn't have been possible without his hard work in the engine room.

CM: Jorginho – 7/10

Veteran midfielder Jorginho was quietly effective for Arsenal and played his part in their crucial victory over the visiting Citizens before being replaced by Thomas Partey.

LW: Leandro Trossard – 5/10

Leandro Trossard has been a fantastic addition since joining Brighton & Hove Albion in January; however, he didn't capture the imagination of Arsenal supporters today and was subsequently hooked for Gabriel Martinelli at half-time.

RW: Gabriel Jesus – 6/10

Perhaps unfortunate not to be rated higher, Gabriel Jesus worked his socks off for Arsenal despite being deployed out wide by boss Arteta and his ability to get up and down helped to suffocate any momentum from Manchester City down the left-hand side.

ST: Eddie Nketiah – 6/10

Similar to Jesus, Eddie Nketiah's hard work will have been appreciated by the Gunners' support today as he endeavoured tirelessly while leading the line for his side. Despite not getting on the scoresheet, he can be pleased with his performance today and his ability to occupy defenders with his pace and movement.

Substitutes

Kai Havertz (for Eddie Nketiah) – 6/10

Gabriel Martinelli (for Leandro Trossard) – 7/10

Thomas Partey (for Jorginho) – 6/10

Takehiro Tomiyasu (for Oleksandr Zinchenko) – 6/10

Manager

Mikel Arteta – 8/10: Tactically, Arteta got almost everything spot on today and recorded arguably the biggest win of his managerial career against the reigning Premier League champions, making it a job well done from his perspective.