Manchester United dealt a significant blow to Arsenal’s Premier League title ambitions with a thrilling 3–2 victory at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, sealed by a late strike from Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha.
Arsenal took the lead in the 29th minute through an own goal by United defender Lisandro Martinez. Bukayo Saka’s delivery caused confusion in the visitors’ defence, and under pressure, Martinez inadvertently turned the ball into his own net.
United responded before the break when Bryan Mbeumo capitalised on a defensive error by Martin Zubimendi. The Cameroonian attacker rounded goalkeeper David Raya and finished calmly to level the score.
Five minutes into the second half, United completed the turnaround. Patrick Dorgu collected a pass from Bruno Fernandes and unleashed a powerful strike from distance that flew into the top corner, despite Arsenal appeals for a handball in the build-up.
Arsenal pushed hard for an equaliser and were rewarded in the 84th minute when Mikel Merino bundled the ball home after goalkeeper Lammens failed to deal with Saka’s corner kick.
Just when the hosts appeared set to salvage a point, United struck decisively.
In the 87th minute, Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo combined to set up Cunha, whose stunning long-range effort beat Raya and secured all three points for the visitors.
The defeat was Arsenal’s first in 13 matches across all competitions and their first home loss since May.
The result leaves the Gunners just four points clear of Manchester City and Aston Villa, who both recorded wins to tighten the title race.
Despite still holding their fate in their own hands, Arsenal’s recent three-game winless run in the league has raised concerns among supporters, with manager Mikel Arteta facing mounting pressure as the season enters a decisive phase.
For United, the victory marked their first league win at the Emirates since 2017 and continued an impressive start under interim manager Michael Carrick, who has now guided the team to successive wins over Manchester City and Arsenal, lifting them into fourth place on the table.
