United showed they could compete with some of the best the PL had to offer when beating Manchester City last weekend, but today they met the best in the division at the moment.
Few were surprised to see Arsenal start on the offensive, but aside from a wayward effort from Leandro Trossard, the Gunners were unable to capitalise on their total dominance.
It didn’t take long for Mikel Arteta’s men to carve out a clear-cut chance though, when the diminutive figure of Martín Zubimendi climbed highest inside the area to meet Declan Rice’s delivery, but a fine Senne Lammens stop turned his header behind for a corner.
It felt like just a matter of time before Arsenal eventually found a breakthrough, and the opener duly arrived in fortuitous circumstances. A ball into the box was only partially cleared by Patrick Dorgu, and after the ball dropped favourably to Martin Ødegaard, his strike was inadvertently diverted into his own goal by Lisandro Martínez.
Yet for all the hosts’ dominance, a glaring error handed United a route back into the game. Zubimendi’s loose pass played Bryan Mbeumo clean through on goal and he rounded David Raya and slotted an equaliser into an empty net.
Arsenal were visibly shell-shocked after being pegged back, and whilst United had them rocking, they had them on the canvas six minutes after the restart.
Dorgu has played himself into a wide midfield role in recent weeks and he continues to vindicate that call, thundering home United’s second off the underside of the crossbar from distance after some intricate link-up with Bruno Fernandes, leaving Raya helpless and silencing the Emirates.
That prompted Arteta to make a quadruple change, but it didn’t particularly stimulate a response as they struggled to get a foothold in the game.
United boss Michael Carrick will perhaps have been surprised at the ease at which his side were seeing the game out, and perhaps that’s why they were caught napping six minutes from time.
Bukayo Saka’s inswinging corner caused havoc and Mikel Merino was on hand to prod over the line from close range to set up a mouthwatering finale.
There was to be one more twist in an incredible story, as United hit back almost instantly when Matheus Cunha bent home a sumptuous effort from outside the box to secure the Red Devils’ first league win at the Emirates since 2017 and end Arsenal’s 17-match unbeaten home run.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Patrick Dorgu (Manchester United)