The referee dropped the ball, and as agreed in good faith, Kai Havertz gave it a gentle nudge back toward the City centre-backs.
A moment of sportsmanship amid the frenzy—a temporary pause in the brewing storm.
But City were restless.
The Etihad murmured with anticipation, wanting fire, fury, and some kind of retaliation.
Bernardo Silva clapped his hands, demanding tempo.
Dias took it on and shifted it quickly across to Gvardiol, who fed Doku wide on the left with that familiar glint of mischief in his eyes.
Doku squared up Timber instantly.
A skip, a shimmy—then the explosion.
The Belgian darted left, feinted right, and tried to slice through a sliver of daylight between Timber and Saliba.
But Jurrien Timber wasn't buying the trick.
He pivoted low, waited, then jabbed his foot in—clean, perfect.
The ball ricocheted gently off Doku's shin and stuck to Timber's foot like a magnet.
A ripple of approval came from the Arsenal end.
