Matheus Cunha scored a stunning late goal as Manchester United completed a thrilling 3-2 comeback win at the Emirates to dent Arsenal’s Premier League title bid.
Having seen both Manchester City and Aston Villa win to reduce their championship advantage to four points, Arsenal took a deserved lead in the 29th minute when United defender Lisandro Martínez put the ball through his own net.
However, Bryan Mbeumo capitalized on a horror backpass by Martin Zubimendi to draw United level before Patrick Dorgu unleashed a stunning strike five minutes after halftime.
Mikel Merino looked to have rescued a valuable point for Arsenal when he prodded home from a corner with six minutes to go.
But substitute Cunha delivered his side’s second stunning goal of the evening only three minutes later as Michael Carrick landed his second win in as many matches as United’s interim manager.
Arsenal’s defeat at an anxiety-ridden Emirates — their first in the league in front of their own supporters this season — is set to cast significant doubt over their hopes of ending their 22-year wait for the title.
Mikel Arteta’s players have been bruised by finishing in second place in the league for the past three seasons. It started so well on Sunday when, fresh from handing a statement 3-1 Champions League defeat to Inter Milan, they made the breakthrough.
Bukayo Saka dinked the ball to Martin Odegaard, and the Norwegian’s sliced volley toward Jurriën Timber clipped Martinez’s standing leg before evading Senne Lammens.
But then the cracks started to show, and United were back level eight minutes after the hosts’ opener. There had been warning signs for Arsenal prior to the equalizer, too.
First, Mbeumo was afforded the freedom to charge at Raya’s goal, but he was unable to pull clear of the Arsenal defense, and Fernandes miscued his teammate’s cutback.
Then, another chance as Arsenal switched off. However, Saliba did just enough to knock Fernandes off his stride — his effort failing to trouble David Raya.
The visitors were growing in confidence, and suddenly Arteta’s men appeared crippled with anxiety, and it was Zubimendi’s fluffed backpass to Raya which handed Mbeumo a chance too good to turn down. Mbeumo took one touch to control the Spain midfielder’s wayward pass, before taking another to round Raya, and firing a third into an empty net.
The nerves were growing inside the Emirates, and an already edgy Arsenal fan base were sent into overdrive five minutes into the second half when United took the lead.
Dorgu twice played a one-two with Fernandes before unleashing a bobbling half-volley from 20 yards which crashed in off the underside of the crossbar.
A VAR check followed to see if the ball briefly bounced off Dorgu’s hand, but the evidence was inconclusive, the goal stood, Arsenal were on tenterhooks and Carrick was dreaming of a second major scalp in as many matches.
A quadruple substitution from Arteta — including the introduction of the dropped Viktor Gyökeres and misfiring Eberechi Eze — followed as he attempted to turn the tide back in Arsenal’s favor.
Arsenal wanted a penalty with 20 minutes to go when Merino’s shot struck a diving Harry Maguire’s hand. But referee Craig Pawson was unmoved, and so too was VAR. Saka forced Lammens into a decent save with eight minutes remaining and from the resulting corner Arsenal had their equalizer.
United could not deal with Saka’s in-swinger and Merino was on hand to poke home despite Benjamin Sesko‘s best efforts to hook the ball clear.
The home supporters might have been thinking about a comeback win of their own, but Cunha had other ideas. He was allowed to turn with the ball before firing a fine curling effort from 20 yards to puncture Arsenal’s championship charge.
