Manchester City vs. Arsenal: What Draw Means for New-Look Gunners

A late goal by Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny against fellow Premier League powerhouse Manchester City lifted the Gunners to new heights on Sunday.

The 1-1 draw was a much-needed result for Arsenal and suggests that they are in the midst of taking the next step to becoming a legitimate contender in the EPL.

Although Arsene Wenger's club didn't earn three points at Etihad Stadium this weekend, it did pull out an unthinkable draw away from home to remain ahead of the defending EPL champions in the season table. Arsenal has been on fire as of late, earning seven points over its last three matches. 

Koscielny's 82nd minute goal means that the Gunners will bring a load of confidence into their next Premier League showdown this Saturday at home against Chelsea, which is at the top of the table with four wins in five matches this season.

After outscoring Liverpool and Southampton 8-1 in its previous two matches, Arsenal proved to the world and itself that it's capable of winning the Premier League despite the departures of Robin van Persie and Alex Song.

As long as Wenger's bunch is content to defend and play gritty football against England's top clubs, and flex its offensive muscles against the league's weaker squads, then it will be competing for a title in the end. 

Sunday's draw with City at Etihad Stadium is telling of where the Gunners are headed this season. Despite the negativity surrounding their lack of notable acquisitions this summer, Arsenal have loaded up with underrated talent that is paying off early on this fall.

The additions of Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla have worked wonders at Emirates. Podolski and Cazorla have combined for three goals and three assists thus far during Premier League play, while Giroud has provided another scoring threat off the bench. 

Although none of those players were the heroes on Sunday, their play overall has the new-look Gunners poised for a strong finish in 2012-13. 

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